9 



-c*y 



LlBRAR Y OF CONGRESS 




003 041 573 5 



HEXAMETER VERSE 

AND ITS REQUIREMENTS IN 

ORDER THAT IT MAY 

"READ ITSELF" 

BY 

PRENTISS CUMMINGS 

OF THE BOSTON BAR 




HEXAMETER VERSE 

AND ITS REQUIREMENTS IN 
ORDER THAT IT MAY 

"READ ITSELF" 



AN INQUIRY 

TENDING TO PROVE A UNIVERSAL LAW 
DEMANDED IN ENGLISH AND FOL- 
LOWED IN THE GREEK AND 
LATIN CLASSICS 

BY 

PRENTISS CUMMINGS 

OF THE BOSTON BAR 



? 



CAMBRIDGE 

prittteti at ttie Mttarstoe press 

1900 



HEXAMETER VERSE 

CLASSIFIED AND ARRANGED ACCORDING TO THE 

NUMBER OF EMPHASIZED FEET 



WITH FOUR EMPHASIZED FEET. 



A I 

A2 
A3 



WITH TWO EMPHASIZED FEET. 



B I 

B 2 

B3 



WITH THREE EMPHASIZED FEET. 



C I 

C 2 



WITH SIX EMPHASIZED FEET. 



The emphasized feet are shown by the heavy lines. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 



This little book is privately printed to afford illustra- 
tions for an off-hand talk before the classical instructors 
of Harvard College ; but as the views intended to be 
illustrated have never been committed even to writing, 
and as I suppose those views to be new and important, 
I -will make a brief statement of them with such expla- 
nations as will make the book intelligible. 

Many writers, including translators of Homer into 
other forms of verse, have expressed the opinion that a 
successful translation into English hexameters would be 
the most satisfactory of any, but have agreed with great 
uniformity that such a translation is impossible. Two 
Englishmen of distinction have published complete hex- 
ameter translations of the Iliad, and portions of Homer 
have been so rendered by several others ; but a passage 
in the recently published life of Tennyson voices, I 
think, the general opinion that their efforts, considered 
as a whole, are failures. 

The writer is one of those who believe with Matthew 
Arnold that no translation of Homer into other than 
hexameter verse can fitly represent that great author; 
and furthermore that such a rendering is not impossible, 
though no doubt the difficulties are great. I am not 
ready to concede that the English language has such 
limitations as to make hexameter in our tongue mathe- 



2 HEXAMETER VERSE 

matically impossible ; and unless it be mathematically 
impossible, it is not impossible at all. It may require 
the work of generations, and revision after revision of 
the work of previous men, to produce really satisfactory 
results ; but scholars will never rest satisfied till it is 
done. Probably the originals required the labor of cen- 
turies to bring them to perfection, — and I do not mean 
by this to imply acceptance of all Wolfe's theories. 

Several years ago the writer began to make hexameter 
translations of stray passages of Homer, at first merely 
as studies of the nature and difficulties of the versifi- 
cation ; but becoming interested in the work, he later 
designed completing the Iliad if he lived long enough, 
hoping, to use a lawyer's expression, his rendering might 
be "good enough to amend by." A vast amount of 
elementary work must be done for some genius, without 
the drudgery which geniuses are supposed to abhor, to 
work over later into a true English classic ; and I was 
willing to do the drudgery if able. It is conceded that 
Homer is one of the three great authors of the world ; 
and a really good rendering of him into English is still 
unwritten. The prose translations of him are to me the 
best yet made : but prose has great limitations, and 
Homer was a poet. 

One single word about the difficulties of hexameter 
in English, which appear to be grievously misunder- 
stood. The one most frequently urged is the lack of 
spondees. James Russell Lowell once said humorously 
that " beef -steak " was the only spondee in the language ; 
but this remark is not quite true, and is based upon the 
erroneous assumption that real spondees are essential. 
A line like the following (which I must not be sup- 
posed to recommend), 



HEXAMETER VERSE 3 

Thus they all day long till on came bright-hued sunset, 

has at least four true spondees ; and two monosyllables 
coming together often, and a compound word formed 
of two monosyllables generally, make true spondees. 
But in point of fact trochees in English make more satis- 
factory verse than spondees ; though spondees can be 
used freely in every foot except the sixth, where the 
effect is clumsy, and in a spondaic line the fifth foot 
should always be a* strong spondee. Counting the vow- 
els and consonants of seven lines of Homer, of Virgil, 
and of English hexameter discloses the fact that each 
has about one hundred and twenty vowels ; but while 
Homer has about a hundred consonants, Virgil will have 
about one hundred and thirty, and the English about 
two hundred. If printed in the same type a line of 
Virgil would be about fifteen per cent, longer than a 
line of Homer, and the English line about fifty per cent, 
longer, — the additional length consisting of consonants. 
In consequence of these consonants the Latin is much 
more spondaic than Homer ; but while in English the 
consonants neither affect quantity nor accent, and so 
frequently are not pronounced or are slightly pronounced 
that the tendency is to become as dactylic as Homer, 
yet it is liable to lack his lightness of movement. In 
fact it is likely to become as trail-footed as Homer's 
cattle. The frequent use of the trochee tends to remedy 
this : and if the views hereinafter set forth are correct, 
there is reason to believe that the ancients accented the 
ictus syllable of spondees very much as we do. 

Nor is it a difficulty with us, as I have seen it stated, 
that English is lacking in short, unaccented words, 



4 HEXAMETER VERSE 

which are so numerous in Homer. On the contrary, 
I think our use of the article, and more frequent use 
of prepositions and auxiliary verbs, give us more of such 
useful words than either of the ancient tongues. A 
much greater difficulty, if attempt be made for a line- 
for-line translation, grows out of the fact that we do not 
naturally use so many long words as we find in Latin and 
Greek, and for that reason lack syllables to complete 
the line and are tempted to fill in extraneous matter. 
This difficulty is to a great extent met by Matthew 
Arnold's suggestion, that a translation requires much 
not actually expressed in the words of the original to 
make it perspicuous ; and in my experience the difficulty 
of compressing lines is quite as frequent as the other. 
Homer himself manifestly used, omitted, and varied his 
epithets to suit metrical convenience, and varied proper 
names for the same reason, and I can see no good reason 
why a translator cannot do the same and yet be faithful. 
I will add that while it greatly helps the translator to 
use the old and lengthened forms of the verb, as "doeth" 
for " does," I do not think it necessary therefore to be 
absolutely consistent in such use, for Homer is not, but 
not infrequently employs shorter forms of the verb, and 
the short termination of the genitive, and sometimes 
both forms in the same sentence. 

There are, however, two difficulties to which most 
hexameter writers have succumbed. The first is that 
of avoiding a diaeresis at the end of the third foot. I 
am sure I speak within bounds when I say that in 
Homer and Virgil such a pause does not occur on the 
average once in a hundred lines ; and two or three lines 
of that kind on a page spoil the whole as effectually as 



HEXAMETER VERSE 5 

a drop of water spoiled the punch for Father Tom. 
This difficulty can be avoided ; and it must be avoided 
or the spirit of the verse is gone. 

The second difficulty is much greater, and indeed sur- 
passes all other difficulties combined, — that of begin- 
ning every line with an accented syllable. Longfellow 
calls attention to this in his diary, but did not always 
live up to his own standard. With some exceptions to 
be noted later, a line cannot begin with a conjunction, 
preposition, or the article, or an auxiliary verb ; and as 
the position of words in English is absolutely fixed in 
many cases, there is danger that the line will become 
crabbed in the effort to avoid this embarrassment. This 
trouble is greatly enhanced owing to the fact that the 
prevailing verse in our language is iambic, and our 
poetic diction and forms of expression are not adapted 
to trochaic lines. The first syllable in the line need not 
be strongly accented, but must be sufficiently so to 
make the first foot an accented spondee or dactyl, or the 
law of the verse is as much violated as if in rhymed 
poetry every now and then the lines do not rhyme. 

Accent should not be sacrificed for the sake of quan- 
tity ; but where the accent falls on the long vowel, and 
the short vowel is unaccented, it no doubt adds rapidity 
and smoothness. 

In the discussion that took place nearly forty years 
ago wherein Matthew Arnold was so prominent, much 
was said respecting the necessity that hexameter verse 
should be so constructed as to " read itself." I under- 
stand that by this is meant that the rhythm of the line 
should accord with the sense, — or in other words, that 
there should be no forcing of accent or emphasis in 



6 HEXAMETER VERSE 

order to make the line harmonious. Unless hexameter 
reads itself in the sense indicated, I suspect it will have 
few other readers. What the requirements of the verse 
are in order that it may read itself have never been 
stated, so far as I am aware ; and it so happens that I 
have been led to make a study of the question, and in 
this book undertake to give the answer. In order to be 
readily understood, although the necessity of using so 
much the pronoun of the first person is to be regretted, 
I will state briefly how the problem was forced on 
my attention, and the circumstances leading to what 
I believe to be a solution. 

I began my study of hexameter with the supposition 
that caesuras, diaereses, and proper arrangement of dac- 
tyls and spondees, and care that every ictus syllable 
should be an accented syllable, were all that was neces- 
sary to make the verse "read itself," and, so far as mere 
mechanical construction was concerned, harmonious. I 
was surprised, however, to find that that was not always 
the case, and could not understand the reason. The 
following are some of my earliest attempts, which I give, 
not as being satisfactory by any means, but to show how 
I was put upon inquiry. Later a comparison will be 
made between these attempts and the original, wherein 
it will appear that Homer conformed to the law as I now 
understand it to be with absolute rigor, which I did not, 
and yet I surmise he simply had a good ear for rhythm 
and knew of no such law. 

The lines are numbered consecutively for convenient 
reference. 



Sing, O goddess, the wrath of the son of Peleus, Achilles, 
to Achaian 
numbered ; 



Wrath to Achaians accursed, and fraught with sorrows un- 



HEXAMETER VERSE 7 

Many a mighty soul to darkness it hurried untimely, 
Many a hero's corse made prey to dogs and to vultures, 
While to the end great Zeus wrought out his unfaltering 
purpose : 5 

Take up the song where first the twain were parted in quar- 
rel, 
Even Atreides, of heroes the lord, and Achilles the godlike. 
. . ... . . . . • • • 

Generations of men are like to the leaves of the forest ; 

Leaves of to-day to earth by the winds are strewn, but to- 
morrow 

New leaves start in the woodlands, they quicken, and lo, it 
is springtime : i o 

So generations of men, one cometh, another departeth. 

On it the earth he wrought, and on it the sea, and the hea- 
vens, 
Also the moon at her full, and the sun that wearieth never ; 
On it, moreover, the signs as many as garland the heavens, 
Even the Pleiads, the Hyads, the mighty hunter, Orion, 15 
Also the great she-bear whose second name is the wagon, — 
Her that turneth on high and Orion eternally watcheth, 
Her that alone of the signs avoideth the baths of the ocean. 

I naturally tried at the outset to be very literal, and 
was much dissatisfied with the first line. The particu- 
lar rhythmic difficulty which I felt was in the fourth 
foot, and for a long time I supposed the trouble was 
that the foot was a weak spondee ; and the suggestion 
made in some grammars that probably the ancients laid 
a slight stress upon the first and fourth feet naturally 
presented itself. The supposition that that was a re- 
quirement, however, was negatived by the very next 



8 HEXAMETER VERSE 

line wherein the fourth foot " fraught with " is also a 
weak spondee, and yet that line so far as harmony was 
concerned seemed to me well enough. Again, in the 
eighth line, the fourth foot "like to" was weak; and 
again, in the fifteenth line "mighty" was also weak; 
but the lines were not on that account unsatisfactory. 
Naturally wishing a good first line for the Iliad I re- 
curred to it again and again, wondering what the trouble 
with it was. It finally came over me that if the sense 
were such that the words " son of " were strongly em- 
phasized the peculiar difficulty I felt would disappear ; 
and at length I came to see that there was some metri- 
cal problem to be solved to make a line " read itself," 
and that this problem in some way involved emphasis. 
Becoming satisfied that my translation would not even 
be "good enough to amend by" until it was solved, in 
April, 1899, I stopped translating and turned to Longfel- 
low's " Evangeline " to see if I could get any light. 
The first line I emphasized as follows : — 

This is the forest primeval, the murmuring pines and the 
hemlocks, 

and I will add that I never heard it read otherwise. I 
had thus emphasized four words, and the line was satis- 
factory so far as the ear was concerned ; but when referred 
to the understanding I could see no reason why " pines " 
should not be emphasized as much as " hemlocks," nor 
why the epithet " murmuring " should be emphasized 
at all. Some mysterious rhythmic force had compelled 
me to emphasize two words wrongly in the second half 
of the line. I then had the curiosity to examine the first 
half, and soon satisfied myself that so far as the under- 



HEXAMETER VERSE 9 

standing was concerned " this " should not be empha- 
sized, but instead the emphasis should fall on " forest." 
Thus four out of the six feet were wrongly read. Much 
mystified, I mechanically read aloud the words 

This is the forest primeval, 

and found to my astonishment that instinctively I then 
read the second half of the line — 

the murmuring pines and the hemlocks. 

If the reader has an ear for rhythm and will test for 
himself the two ways of reading that line, he will find I 
was correct. I had the key to the mystery. 

It was evident that the way the first half of the line 
was read determined the way the second half must be 
read to make it harmonious. Furthermore, I had dis- 
covered two forms of line in which, if the emphatic 
words were properly placed, the line would "read itself ; " 
that is to say, in a line with the caesura dividing the 
third foot four emphasized words might be placed two 
in each half of the line, with their accented syllables 
forming the ictus syllable of the first, third, fourth, and 
sixth feet, or the second, third, fifth, and sixth feet ; 
and one of these lines was just as good as the other. 
The only other arrangement of four such words that 
would balance would be where their accented and ictus 
syllables came in the first, second, fourth, and fifth 
feet ; and without hunting for such a line but merely by 
forcing the emphasis in the line above given, I ascer- 
tained that that arrangement would also form a harmo- 
nious line ; and two familiar lines of Virgil, where the 
emphasized words are similarly arranged if we can judge 



10 HEXAMETER VERSE 

by the way we emphasize the translation, occurred to me 
at once : — 

TrOS Tyriusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur. 

Arma virumque cano, Trojae qui primus ab oris. 

I also ascertained in a few minutes, simply by practice 
on Longfellow's line, that if I emphasized the first, sec- 
ond, or third foot only in the first half, I should in like 
manner emphasize in the second half either the fourth, 
fifth, or the sixth foot only. 

The reader by testing the matter himself will be satis- 
fied, I think, that I was correct. On a later page illus- 
trations of all these forms of lines will be given. I soon, 
with this start, jumped to the conclusion that where there 
were but three emphatic words in the line, they would 
be arranged in alternate feet ; that is, in the first, third, 
and fifth foot, or in the second, fourth, and sixth ; which 
was correct, but I wrongly inferred that in such case the 
caesural pause would either divide or come at the end of 
the second or fourth foot. In point of fact, I have finally 
ascertained that the caesural pause does not affect the 
question at all, although it usually divides the third foot 
when there are an equal number of emphasized feet, and 
occurs somewhere else where the number is unequal. 
The caesuras and diaereses, however, are mere accidents, 
and the different kinds of line should properly be classi- 
fied according to the number and arrangement of em- 
phasized feet they contain. 

Later I found by investigation that in addition to the 
eight forms of line above given, there was a ninth, gov- 
erned by the same principle however, in which all six 
of the feet are emphasized. A line otherwise correct 



HEXAMETER VERSE II 

and written in accordance with any of these nine forms 
will be absolutely harmonious and will "read itself." 
But if written in any other way it will be inharmonious ; 
and, if it be tolerably near correct, the reader will force 
the emphasis in the way that does least violence to the 
understanding until he brings it within one of these 
forms, and most likely will be unconscious of the forcing 
process. It is impossible for a person with an ear for 
rhythm to read otherwise ; the difficulty being much the 
same a musical person would have in singing off the key. 
All these statements it is important the reader should 
verify for himself. 

The diagram on p. 12 shows visually the nine stand- 
ard forms of hexameter verse, with a classification based 
on emphasis ; and each line is designated by a letter for 
convenient reference. 

The reader will observe that I speak of emphasized 
feet. At the outset I rashly assumed that it was only 
words with an ictus syllable which were emphasized, and 
this mistake led to much error and discouragement. In 
fact, as a rule it is only words with the ictus that are 
emphasized ; but not infrequently it happens that short 
words, appended to a preceding word with an ictus, are 
themselves emphasized and give character to the foot. 
In such case, more frequently both words are empha- 
sized, as in the following examples : — 

Close at their sides their children ran, and urged on the 
oxen. 

Therefore trust to thy heart, and to what the world calls 
il/^sions ; 

and similar illustrations appear on every page of the 
classical authors. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 

CLASSIFIED AND ARRANGED. ACCORDING TO THE 

NUMBER OF EMPHASIZED FEET 



WITH FOUR EMPHASIZED FEET. 



WITH TWO EMPHASIZED FEET. 



WITH THREE EMPHASIZED FEET. 



A I 

A 2 
A3 



B I 
B 2 
B3 



C I 
C 2 



WITH SIX EMPHASIZED FEET. 

D 



The emphasized feet are shown by the heavy lines. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 1 3 

Less frequently the word without an ictus is empha- 
sized when the preceding word is not, and such lines are 
less pleasing, but they are admissible in English and not 
uncommon with the ancients. The following lines from 
Kingsley and Longfellow are illustrations : — 

Yet one fault I remember this day ; one word have I spoken. 

All things were held in amnion, and what one had was an- 
ger's. 

Daughter, thy words are not idle, nor are they to me without 
meaning. 

Such feet, in which the second half only is emphasized, 
may, as here, and often do correspond with a foot in 
which the ictus syllable is emphasized. 

The following four consecutive lines from Longfellow 
illustrate the three A forms : — 

Thus passed a few swift years, and they no longer were chil- 

dren. 
He was a valiant youth, and his face like the face of the niorn- 

ing, 
Gladdened the earth with its light, and ripened thought into 

action. 
She was a woman now, with the heart and hopes of a woman. 

The following lines represent B i : — 

" Not so thinketh the folk in the village," said, warmly, the 

blacksmith. 
Gaily the old man sang to the wbrant sound of his fiddle. 

The following are illustrations of B 2 and B 3 from 
Kingsley and Longfellow : — 

All day long they cast, till the house of the monarch was 
taken, 



14 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Cepheus, king of the land ; and the faces of all gathered 

blackness. [?] 
Then once more they cast ; and Cassiq^da was taken. 

Talk not of wasted affection, affection never was wasted. 

Bind her aloft for a victim, a prey for the gorge of the mon- 
ster, 

Far on the sea-girt rock, which is washed by the surges for 
ever. 

The following lines contain illustrations of C I : — 

" Sunsnlne of Saint Eulalie " was she called ; for that was the 

sunshine 
Which, as the farmers believed, would load their orchards 

with apples. [?] 

Sweetly over the village the bell of the ^gelus sounded. 

The following illustrate C 2 : — 

Fragments of song the old man sang, and carols of Christmas^ 
Such as at home, in the olden time, his fathers before him 
Sang in their Norman orchards. 

The following illustrate D, in which all the feet are 
emphasized, or, what practically amounts to the same 
thing, none are emphasized : — 

No King George of England shall drive you away from your 

homestead 
Burning your dwellings and barns, and stealing your farms 

and your cattle. 

In pursuing my investigations I personally was so much 
embarrassed by ignorance of the principles of emphasis, 
that I shall take the liberty of saying a few words upon 
that subject. If there be any really good book upon 



HEXAMETER VERSE I 5 

emphasis, I have failed to find it, but I will give a few prin- 
ciples found in Murdoch's "Elocution." First, it should 
be remembered that words ordinarily, and in this metre 
always, are emphasized on but one syllable, and in Eng- 
lish that is regularly the accented syllable. In the clas- 
sics, the emphasis falls on the ictus of words which have 
the ictus, and where there is more than one ictus syllable 
it always falls on the first only. I suspect it is ignorance 
of the fact that only one syllable of a word is affected by 
emphasis, which, though obvious when stated, may not 
have been actually formulated in the minds of men learned 
in the classics, that has prevented the truth from being 
perceived. In many cases where a long word is partly 
in three feet, and in a few cases even has three ictus 
syllables, it has not occurred to them that only one sylla- 
ble need be placed to determine the emphasis, and hence 
the orderly succession in the nine forms above given has 
not been suggested. 

Sometimes in English, when a distinction is made by 
the use of two words differing only in one syllable, the 
emphasis is effected by transferring the accent to those 
syllables, though it does not normally belong there, as 
"sins of ^mmission and sins of amission." That is 
not done by Virgil in the following lines, where there is 
a play upon the names Casmilla and Camilla : — 

Pulsus ob invidiam regno viresque superbas 
Priverno antiqua Metabus cum excederet urbe, 
infantem fugiens media inter proelia belli 
SUStulit exilio comitem, matrisque vocavit 
nomine Casmillae mutata parte Camillam. 

Aen. XL 539-543- 

Observe, also, how the emphasis is taken from infantem 

by comitem, which follows as a predicate. 



1 6 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Sometimes in the classical tongues there is a contrast 
made by using the same word in different cases, but the 
emphasis, as elsewhere, falls on the ictus syllable and 
not on the terminations as such. In W. C. Lawton's re- 
cent book on the " Successors of Homer " (and I mention 
Mr. Lawton honoris causa) are the following lines : — 

Even the potter is jealous of potter, and craftsman of crafts- 
man ; 
Even the beggar is grudging to beggar, and poet to poet. 

The original appears to be emphasized as follows : — 

/cai /c€pa\ievs fcepa\L£i tcoreei ical tIktovl tzktcov, 
kclL 7TT(Dybs 7tto))(c3 (f>6oveet kcu aoiSo? aoihco. 

If Hesiod's order is retained the true emphasis will be 
preserved : — 

Even the potter of potter is jealous, and craftsman of crafts- 
man ; 
Even the beggar to beggar is grudging, and poet to poet. 

I call attention to this passage to show that in the origi- 
nal, while in the first pair of contrasted words in each 
line the emphasis falls on the terminations (wherein the 
words differ), in the second pair it falls on the first ictus 
(wherein they are alike) ; and also because it affords a 
good illustration of the principle stated later, that where 
words carry with them the sense of omitted words they 
must be emphasized to suggest the unexpressed idea. 
In this case the meaning intended to be conveyed is 
that every potter is jealous of every other potter; and if 
the full expression had been used the second " potter " 
would not have been emphatic, but owing to the omis- 
sion it should be emphasized. I will not undertake to 



HEXAMETER VERSE I 7 

surmise how Mr. Lawton reads his lines, but am sure he 
forces them into one of the preceding nine forms, and in 
so doing he must either emphasize some word, or fail to 
emphasize some word, wrongly. This passage is also 
instructive as showing the practical usefulness of my 
theory if true. These lines are preceded by Hesiod with 
the statement that rivalry is good for mortals ; and 
critics have declared that these two lines were an inter- 
polation, on the ground that jealousy and grudging are 
not good for mortals ; but the force of this criticism is 
much lessened by the consideration that the objection- 
able words are not the emphatic words, but are subordi- 
nate to the leading thought that this spirit of emulation 
pervades all classes. 

This emphasis may be effected by stress, or by length- 
ening the vowel sound of the significant syllable ; and I 
have an impression, which is of course a mere theory, 
that in the classics the lengthening of the emphasized 
syllable was more frequent, and may have been accom- 
plished without interfering with the ordinary accent of 
the word which was effected by stress. This theory, if 
correct, would account for the apparent inconsistency 
between ictus and accent. Quintilian states that the 
poets lengthened the short vowels of certain words, as 
the I in Italia, and it is on that letter that the word 
is emphasized, although under Quintilian's rule the acute 
accent would fall on the second syllable. The fact that 
he speaks of it as the " acute " accent may be owing to 
the fact that words had another accent caused by length- 
ening the vowel on which emphasis would be placed. 
In this way it may be possible that the poetry of Homer 
and Virgil could be read metrically, and yet not be incon- 



1 8 HEXAMETER VERSE 

sistent with the customs of speech. It has always 
seemed impossible that these ancient poems could have 
been read in an utterly sing-song fashion, and yet been a 
living force to their readers and hearers. 

The principal use of emphasis is to distinguish some- 
thing as distinct or opposite to some other thing. Where 
such antithesis is expressed it is usually easy to detect 
the emphasized words ; but in many cases the antithesis 
is only implied, and the implication is effected by empha- 
sizing strongly a word which would not be emphasized 
at all if the additional words necessary to complete the 
idea had also been used. I have called attention to this 
in a preceding example, and other instances occur in the 
illustrations that follow. 

Again, words may be emphasized simply to express 
strong emotion, or to designate some particular thing, 
when no distinction is intended. 

Again, words sometimes are emphasized simply to 
bring out a grammatical relation which otherwise might 
be obscured by an intervening clause ; and in such case, 
the emphasis seems to be due to the fact that the mind 
is thus held in suspense during the interval. This is 
technically termed an " emphatic tie," and Murdock 
gives the following as an illustration : — 

And Jura answers, through her misty shroud, 
Back to the joyous Alps, that called to her aloud. 

Under this principle of the emphatic tie even connec- 
tives like " and " or " but " may not only begin a hexa- 
meter line, but may be emphasized words in cases where 
a comma properly follows them, owing to an inversion in 
the sentence which holds the mind in suspense : — 



HEXAMETER VERSE 19 

And, as they turned at length to speak to their silent compan- 
ion, 
Lo ! from his seat he had fallen. 

Virgil emphasizes atque under the same conditions in the 
following passage from the first Georgic : — 

Quid tempestates auctumni et sidera dicam 
atque, ubi iam breviorque dies et mollior aestas, 
quae vigilanda viris : 

which I will render, — 

Why should I tell of the storms and ^«stellations of autumn 
And, as the days grow short and the heat a&zteth its fury, 
What keen watch must be kept : 

This passage, wherein atque required emphasis to corre- 
spond with the obviously emphatic brevior and mollior, 
would have been a hopeless puzzle to me but for the 
analogy in English ; and prior to finding the principle 
of the emphatic tie, I had supposed " and " was admis- 
sible in such cases in the English because the comma 
gave it quantity, and never thought of it as emphasized. 
The reader will observe that I emphasized "constella- 
tions " on the first ictus syllable, partly for his considera- 
tion, and partly to show the effect of the similar way of 
emphasizing in the classical tongues. Of course it could 
have been rendered " stars of changeable (or perfidious) 
Autumn," or some similar epithet of waywardness ; but 
experiments with such words as "impossibility," "inartic- 
ulate," "whithersoever," "nevertheless," indicate to my 
mind that they may without impropriety be emphasized 
on the first syllable only, and often are so emphasized 
in familiar speech. 



20 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Again, in certain cases several successive words are 
emphasized, forming what is called an emphatic phrase. 
In the classics such an emphatic phrase is often effected 
by a line in form A 3 followed by a line in form A 2? 
thus bringing four emphatic feet together : and to the 
purpose of forming an emphatic phrase the form D is 
especially adapted, and is often used to express a proverb 
or some sententious saying. 

Again, certain words are emphasized within my mean- 
ing, and within the definition recognized by authorities, 
where two or more successive words are run together in 
speech and pronounced, as one word. These combina- 
tions are what are technically known as oratorical words. 
Quintilian recognized such, and says that the second half 
of the first line of the Aeneid was pronounced as one 
word, and gives other illustrations. Commentators 
seem to think Quintilian wrong in regard to the first 
line of Virgil, and believe it is made up of at least two 
oratorical words. The emphasis in oratorical words is 
slight, and in common speech is merely spoken of as 
accent, but it is sufficient in poetry to make rhythm ; 
and the study and mastery of oratorical words, and of 
phrases and idioms, is essential to facility in ascertaining 
within which one of the nine forms I have given, the 
lines of the ancient classics are to be classified. 

Words which in themselves might naturally be empha- 
sized, frequently have the emphasis taken from them 
because combined with other words. For example, 
nouns often have the emphasis taken from them by an 
emphatic genitive, by an adjective, or by a relative 
clause ; and adjectives and verbs in the same way have 
their emphasis transferred to adverbs, or an accusative 



HEXAMETER VERSE 21 

of specification, or other modifying word. In the same 
way nouns transfer the emphasis to a predicate. In the 
ablative absolute consisting of a noun and a participle, 
the participle ordinarily takes the emphasis ; but where 
it consists of two nouns, or a noun and a pronoun, the 
predicate word is the one emphasized. Where a word 
is repeated, it is commonly only emphasized in one in- 
stance ; but this would not apply obviously where words 
are correlative, and in fact an antithesis is intended. 

Although the main object of this publication does not 
relate to English hexameter verse, except so far as to 
illustrate ancient hexameter, I will make one or two sug- 
gestions. I do not know whether the law of emphasis 
at the base of it will add a new terror to the verse or 
not. I surmise, however, it will make it easier, because, 
whenever a verse is not satisfactory, the difficulty with 
it, if merely rhythmic, can be perceived at once. 

I have alluded to the difficulty of beginning lines with 
an accented syllable ; and the difficulty is considerably 
greater of beginning any large number with an empha- 
sized syllable ; consequently, the forms designated as 
A i, A 2, B i, C i, would be employed infrequently, 
unless much effort be made to the contrary. Our best 
English hexameter will be found on examination, so far 
as it conforms at all to the law as I have stated it, to be 
almost wholly A 3 and B 3, with an occasional C 2. 
While those three forms are as good as any, the constant 
recurrence of them is monotonous ; and in particular B 3 
recurring a number of times in succession gives a jerky 
effect to the end line. The classical writers used freely 
all the above forms, — A 1, A 2, B 2, and both forms of 
C being very frequent indeed. In the first eleven lines 



22 HEXAMETER VERSE 

of the Aeneid C i occurs four times and C 2 once cer- 
tainly, and perhaps twice, and the first seven lines of 
the Iliad have two lines in the form C 1. On the other 
hand, the form called D is peculiarly adapted to the 
short, pithy words of the English, and we also have the 
short, unaccented words to give them a setting. In the 
other forms, Latin and Greek, from their freedom in 
varying the order of words, and from their practice of 
elision, which allows the putting of two emphatic or two 
unemphatic words into the same foot, render the separa- 
tion of the emphatic from the unemphatic feet much 
easier than with us. But while those tongues have 
resources which the English does not have, I believe 
English will still have resources peculiar to itself, if they 
are fully developed. 

When I started on my quest for the law that must be 
followed in order to make an English line " read itself," 
it was not within my dreams that I should find anything 
that governed the form of the classical models. These 
models are in a language that to us is dead, and we are 
liable to forget that the deadness is in us and not in the 
text ; but, as intimated, I had not worked out the three 
A forms before I had begun to think of lines in Homer 
and Virgil, — lines having no words with more than one 
ictus and which admit of a word-for-word translation, — 
that appeared to be governed by the same laws as the 
English lines. It is to be remembered also that Quin- 
tilian treats of both accent and emphasis, and that accent 
and emphasis are the very life of a language. We speak 
of a foreigner as talking English with a foreign accent ; 
but in point of fact, he speaks it with little accent and 
still less emphasis ; that is, he talks his words and enun- 



HEXAMETER VERSE 23 

ciates his syllables too much alike ; and it is not unnat- 
ural that we should deal with a dead language in the 
same way, only worse. Consequently, the very deadness 
of the model has been considered its distinctive feature, 
and hexameter writers in English have seemed to fear 
anything with more life than the model had to them. 
But in point of fact, the ancient tongues must have had 
living elements similar to ours, and their hexameter 
must have been emphasized, and the presumption is 
strong that emphasis played as important a part in their 
rhythm as with ours. 

It might even be thought a priori that in the set form 
of a hexameter line emphasis in one part of it must have 
required some corresponding emphasis in other parts. 
I believe it to be an under-statement to say that the 
ancient writers conformed to the nine forms of verse 
I have given much more rigorously than any English 
writer ; so much so, in fact, that it is not easy to believe 
it an accident. I do not mean to imply that every line 
strictly conforms, but the number that do not is less 
than might be apprehended from corruption of the text 
alone ; and the ingenuity shown in many of the lines is 
so great that it is difficult to believe the authors were 
not consciously conforming to a known rule. If, how- 
ever, it had been known, most likely some record would 
have come down to us ; and it is more reasonable to sup- 
pose that their conformity to law was due to a good ear. 
Perhaps I may be pardoned for saying in support of this 
that many verses of my own conform to the same laws, 
of which I was wholly unconscious ; and that is particu- 
larly true in respect to words which are emphasized 
though not having an ictus. The facts as to those words 



24 HEXAMETER VERSE 

I discovered in the classics, laboriously and slowly, and it 
was after I had discovered them there that I found the 
same things in the English — not only in many lines 
of my own, but in Longfellow and Kingsley — whereof I 
have given illustrations above. I now feel justified in 
saying that there is practically nothing true of the law 
of the verse in English, so far as emphasis is concerned, 
which does not have its exact counterpart in Latin and 
Greek. 

Referring again to the diagram, I give the following 
classical illustrations of the nine different forms, but it is 
a thing almost unnecessary, for all these forms recur 
over and over again in the pages given later, and also 
equally in what is not given. 

His adjungit, Hylan nautae quo fonte relictum 
clamassent, ut litus " Hyla Hyla " omne sonaret. 

Haec memini, et victum frustra contendere Thyrsim. 
Ex illo Corydon Corydon est tempore nobis. 

Venit summa dies et ineluctabile tempus 
Dardaniae. Fuimus Troes, fuit Ilium et ingens 
Gloria Teucrorum. 

Torva leaena lupum sequitur, lupus ipse capellam, 
te Corydon, o Alexi : trahit Sua quemque voluptas. 

NOS numerus sumus et fruges consumere nati. 
Optat ephippia bOS, piger optat arare caballus. 

Rusticus, es, Corydon : nee munera curat Alexis. 

" Verane te facies, verus mihi nuntius aflers ? " 

" Vivo equidem, vitamque extrema per omnia duco." 

u Quo diversus abis ? " iterum : " pete saxa, Menoete." 



HEXAMETER VERSE 25 

Nam certe ex vivo Centauri non fit imago. 

Quam mihi das aegro dabis aegrotare timenti. 

Iliacos intra muros peccatur et extra. 

" Solus ego in Pallanta feror ; soli mihi Pallas 
Debetur ; cuperem ipse parens spectator adesset." 

Frigidus, o pueri, fugite hinc, latet anguis in herba. 

Hos successus alit ; possunt, quia posse videntur. 

Phyllida amo ante alias : mam me discedere flevit, 
et longum " Formose, vale vale " inquit, " Iolla." 

" quae Phoebo Pater omnipotens, mihi Phoebus Apollo 
praedixit, vobis Furiarum ego maxima pando." 

Prospiciens, "Nate," exclamat, "fuge, nate, propinquant." 

TriSte lupus stabulis, maturis frugibus imbres. 
Dulce satis umor, depulsis arbutus haedis. 
Aurea mala decern misi ; eras altera mittam. 

Form D usually has one of the preceding eight lead- 
ing forms underlying it, since some of the words are 
more emphatic than others and are arranged accordingly. 
The line above given as an example of C2, 

Hos successus alit ; possunt, quia posse videntur, 

is also a form of D ; and the first of the following lines, 
which was an order shouted in the boat race, is also D. 

" quo tan turn mihi dexter abis ? hue dirige gressum ; 
Litus ama, et laevas stringat sine palmula cautes ; 
Altum alii teneant." 

Una salus victis nullam sperare salutem, 

is a form of D with Ai, or refining still farther Bi, 
underlying it, thus : — 



26 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Una salus victis nullam sperare salutem. 
Una salus victis nullam sperare salutem. 

A line consisting of four or five long words, although 
all are emphasized, I do not regard as form D, since 
some of the feet must be made up of parts of words that 
are non-emphatic. 

The following from Homer illustrate the other 
forms : — 

heivrj $e fcXayyy] yever apy vpeoio /3tolo. 

kvvr)\xap jxev ava CTpaTOV oS^eTO KrfXa 0eolo. 

tt) 8ercdTT\ S' dyopr\vcje KaXeacraro \aov AxiXXeu?. 

Kpelvcrcov yap fiacnXevs, ore xaxrerat avSpl %epT|t.* 

XpT| |J.T|V (njxotVe/ooV ye, 0ea, €iros eipvcracrOai, 

teal fJidka irep #y|A(0 /cexoXcofievov cJ? yap d\L£lvov. 

o? tee #eois e7rtir€L^Tat, fxdXa r ZkXvov clvtov. 

vxymos et?, co j;elv\ rj T\\X66ev elXrjXovdas. 
\|/€i)So9 /cev (fralfiev ical vocfa^oifieOa /jlcLXXov. 
hr[IJLo/36po<; /3aatXev<;, iirel ovr ihavolcn avdaaei^ ' 
r\ "yap av, 'ArpetSr), vvv vcrrara Xco/3r)<raio * 

to. c7 erepov fiev ZSco/ce irarrjp, erepov 6' avevevcre. 
/3ov\ofjL iyeb Xabv croov e/x/xevat rj airoXivOai ' 
Te'/cva (j)iX\ rj rot Zr\vl ftporcbv ov/c dv -u? ipi&t. 
" re/cvov e/xov, rrolov ere eVo? <j)vyev ep/co? obovrcov. 
Ticreiav Aavaol ep-d Sd/cpva crolcrc /3eXe<jcriv. 

r) /cev yr\0rj<ra,L Upia\LOS UptdfjiOLo re TralSe? 

aXXot re Tpcoes \iiya icev Ke^apoiaro OvfjLcp 

el acf)(oiv Ta8e irdvra irvOolaro \Lapva/jievouv, 

o'l irepl fiev /3ov\y\v Aavacov irepl £>' iare yidyjcvQai. 

aXXci 7rt'6€cr9' * d/j,<f)G) 8e vearepco earov i\keio. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 2J 

The following are stray lines often recurring in Ho- 
mer, which might be multiplied indefinitely : — 

*H? ecfxiT €\i%o / ^e^o?, tov 8' tkXve <E>o£/3o? 'AttoWcov 

Tbv 8' aira\L^i(36ixevo^ 7rpoae<^r\ irohas o)/cu? 'Ax^XXet/?. 

5 Arpei'8r] /cvbHTre, ava| dv8pa)v, 'Ayd\kt\Lvov 

Trjv 8* rj^ifter eTretra Aios dvydrrip Ac^pohlrr]. 

Tbv 8* dp* virohpa IScov 7T/3ocre(j)T| 7ro\vfjLT)TL$ 'OSwcev?. 

Trjv 8e fJLey* oyjdrjaas Trpoae^T] vec^eXrjyepera Zexis * 

5(0*y/oet, 'AT/oeo? t/te, av 8' d|ia 6e|at diroiva. 

(o (f)i\oi T]/Oft)e? Aaz/aoC, Oepdnrovres "Apr|o?, 

/ce/cXvTe, ^airj/ccov r)yr\Tope<; r)8e /-te'SovTe?. 

8ioyeves AatpTLaBr), 7ro\vfjLij^av 'Oh\)<r<rev' 

7] £' awT* &W ivorjae nrepifypcov Hr\ve\67reia. 

Trjv 8* avr ' E\)/ov/xa^o?, IIoXupov 7rat? dvriov r\v8a' 

Trjv £' a?V TT|Xe/u-a^o? 7re7rvi)yu,eVo? dvriov T\v8a ' 

Toy 8' ^p,ei^eT' eiretra /3o\\v d<ya6bs Me^eXao?. 

«J NecrTop N^XT^'aS??, ^€70. /euSo? \Axch<wz>. 

KeKXvTe yLteu /-tvOoav, KdKa 7rep 7rao-xovre? eralpot • 

'ivOev 8e 7rpoTep(i) 7rXeo[i€V dKa^ijfievot yyrop, 
dcrfJLevoi i/c davdroio, (J>l\ov^ okeo-avres eTai/oof?. 

^09 8' i\piyev€ia cj)dvr\ po8o8d/CTv\o<; 'Hc6?. 

i/c 8e kclI avrol ^r\fxev eirl pr}<y\LivL #a\.do"cr?79, 
ev0a 8* aTCoftpi^avTes i/Aeiva/jLev*'H.a) 8lav. 

In reference to the A forms, it is perhaps worth while 
to say that they ordinarily occur in passages where the 
emphasis is slight, and it is in those lines where non-con- 
formity is more usual than elsewhere. In such lines it 
is easy to see that the error would be less felt, and a 
slight forcing of emphasis easy. 



28 HEXAMETER VERSE 

The B forms, on the other hand, are used where the 
emphasis is strong, and in a year's time I have never 
found in Latin or Greek a line with only two distinctly 
emphasized words that were not arranged according to 
one of the B forms ; even Cicero's famous line — 

O fortunatam natam me COnsule Romam. 

is correct in that respect. 

In the C forms, also, emphasis ordinarily is clearly 
marked, and the forms B and C are of frequent use in 
dramatic and argumentative passages, where distinctions 
are marked and important. It will be observed that 
both C forms are combinations of A i and B 2 ; and, as 
a result, there is an occasional line which, in a foreign 
tongue, it is difficult to classify, but such difficulties can 
almost invariably be settled by translating the passage, 
and ascertaining how we should naturally emphasize the 
corresponding' words in English. 

In the illustrations given in this book there is a lack 
of uniformity in the spelling and otherwise, as the work 
has been hastily prepared, and passages taken from dif- 
ferent publications without change. Inasmuch as my 
object is a single one, the entire emphasized syllable has 
been printed in a larger type for clearness, although, as 
stated above, perhaps it would be more . correct to have 
simply so printed the vowels of the emphasized syllable. 
Where emphasis occurs on a word without an ictus, the 
entire word is printed in large type, although probably 
such words, if dissyllables, were emphasized on the first 
syllable only. The seat of emphasis in words that have 
the ictus, as before stated, is on the ictus itself, and if 
there be more than one ictus, it is on the first only. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 20, 

It would relieve my theory of some difficulties to believe 
that the author had a choice as to which ictus to empha- 
size, but after much patient study I am satisfied that is 
not the case. 

I will add that the solutions I have given are merely 
tentative, and in many cases may be incorrect. As to 
some passages I am in doubt how the author intended 
his lines to be read, but have exercised my best judg- 
ment from the sense and by comparison with similar 
combinations of words. That one of the foregoing nine 
forms presented an ideal standard to which the author, 
consciously or unconsciously, attempted to conform, I 
believe to be beyond question. 

The following passage shows the skill wherein by eli- 
sion two emphasized words are brought within the same 
foot. See lines 330, 331, and 334. Observe also in 332 
and 333 similar skill whereby words without an ictus are 
emphasized. Maxima gives force to tremit by contrast, 
"the earth trembles in its vast bulk." 

ipse Pater media nimborum in nocte corusca 

fulmina molitur dextra ; quo maxima motu 

terra tremit, fugere ferae, et mortalia corda 330 

per gentes humilis stravit pavor ; ille flagranti 

aut Athon aut Rhodopen aut alta Ceraunia telo 

deicit ; ingeminant austri et densissimus imber ; 

nunc nemora ingenti vento, nunc litora plangunt. 

Georg. I. 328-334. 

The following familiar passages show the care with 
which emphasized and unemphasized feet are kept sepa- 
rate, and otherwise illustrate the views presented in this 
book : — 



30 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Talibus orabat dictis, arasque tenebat, 

cum sic orsa loqui vates : Sate sanguine divom, 125 

Tros Anchisiade, facilis decensus Averno ; 

noctes atque dies patet atri ianua Ditis ; 

sed revocare gradum superasque evadere ad auras, 

hoc opus, hie labor est. Pauci, quos aequus amavit 

Iupiter, aut arde.ns evexit ad aethera virtus, 130 

dis geniti potuere. Tenent media omnia silvae, 

Cocytusque sinu labens circumvenit atro. 

Quod si tantus amor menti, si tanta cupido est, 

bis Stygios innare lacus, bis nigra videre 

Tartara, et insano iuvat indulgere labori, 135 

Accipe quae peragenda prius. Latet arbore opaca 

aureus et foliis et lento vimine ramus, 

Iunoni infernae dictus sacer : hunc tegit omnis 

lucus et obscuris claudunt convallibus umbrae : 

Sed non ante datur telluris operta subire, uo 

auricomos quam qui decerpserit arbore fetus. 

Hoc sibi pulchra suum ferri Proserpina munus 

Instituit. Primo avulso non deficit alter 

Aureus, et simili frondescit virga metallo. 

Ergo alte vestiga oculis, et rite repertum 145 

carpe manu; namque ipse volens facilisque sequetur, 

si te fata vocant ; aliter non viribus ullis 

vincere, nee duro poteris convellere ferro. 

Aen. VI. 124-148. 



Nos Troia antiqua, si vestras forte per aures 375 

Troiae nomen iit, diversa per aequora vectos 
forte sua Libycis tempestas adpulit oris. 
Sum pius Aeneas, raptos qui ex hoste Penates 



HEXAMETER VERSE 3 I 

classe veho mecum, fama super aethera notus. 
Italiam quaero patriam et genus ab love summo. 380 

Bis denis Phrygium conscendi navibus aequor, 
matre dea monstrante viam, data fata secutus ; 
vix septem convulsae undis Euroque supersunt. 
Ipse ignotus, egens, Lybiae deserta peragro, 
Europa atque Asia pulsus. Nee plura querentem 385 
passa Venus medio sic interfata dolore est : 

Quisquis es, haud, credo, invisus caelestibus auras 
vitales carpis, Tyriam qui adveneris urbem. 
Perge modo, atque hinc te reginae ad limina perfer. 
Namque tibi reduces socios classemque relatam 390 

nuntio et in tutum versis aquilonibus actam. 

Aen. I. 375-39 1 - 



M. Tityre, tu patulae recubans sub tegmine fagi 
silvestrem tenui musam meditaris avena ; 
nos patriae fines et dulcia linquimus arva. 
Nos patriam fugimus ; tu, Tityre, lentus in umbra 
formosam resonare doces Amaryllida silvas. 5 

T. O Meliboee, deus nobis haec otia fecit. 

Namque erit ille mihi semper deus ; illius aram 
saepe tener nostris ab ovilibus imbuet agnus. 
Ille meas errare boves, ut cernis, et ipsum 
ludere quae vellem calamo permisit agresti. 10 

M. Non equidem in video miror magis : undique totis 
usque adeo turbatur agris. En ipse capellas 
protenus aeger ago : hanc etiam vix, Tityre, duco. 
Hie inter densas corylos modo namque gemellos 
spem gregis, ah, silice in nuda conixa reliquit. 15 



32 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Saepe malum hoc nobis, si mens non laeva fuisset, 
de coelo tactas memini praedicere quercus. 
Sed tamen iste deus qui sit da, Tityre, nobis. 

Ecl. I. 

In the above extract the emphasis is mainly very 
slight arid therefore difficult to detect, but when found is 
sufficient for rhythm. Nos in the fourth line is not em- 
phasized, according to the general rule previously alluded 
to, — that repeated words are seldom emphasized in both 
instances, — in this case the repetition taking place 
merely to substitute fugimus for the weaker word linqui- 
mus. In Aen. II., where Aeneas described the captive 
Cassandra, he emphasizes with great effect the repeated 
word in the second instance. 

Ad caelum tendens ardentia lumina frustra, 
lumina, nam teneras arcebant vincula palmas. 

On the other hand Virgil emphasizes the name Corydon 
twice in the following line from the second Eclogue, as 
we should in English : — 

Ah Corydon Corydon, quae te dementia cepit ? 

Observe also that in the A forms, where a noun and its 
adjective are on different sides of the caesura, their first 
ictus syllables occupy corresponding places according to 
the A schedule ; whereas, in the fifth line, which is in 
form C, the place of the noun and adjective change to 
correspond with the C schedule. This is an earmark of 
form C, and the same thing occurs in the second line of 
the Iliad. It seems to be due to a rhythmic reason, how- 
ever, and sometimes occurs in forms A and B when the 
caesural pause does not divide the third foot. This fifth 



HEXAMETER VERSE 33 

line seems to be suggested by the third Idyl of Theocri- 
tus, where the names Tityrus and Amaryllis are used, 
and the sixth line begins, — 

w -xapUcra ' AfiapvXXL 
Tityrus is imagined to have sung " O formosa Ama- 
ryllis " until the woods were vocal with the two empha- 
sized words. 

Formosum pastor Corydon ardebat Alexim, 
delicias domini ; nee quid speraret habebat. 
Tantum inter densas umbrosa cacumina fagos 
assidue veniebat. Ibi haec incondita solus 
montibus et silvis studio iactabat inani : — 5 

" O crudelis Alexi, nihil mea carmina curas ? 
nil nostri miserere ? Mori me denique coges. 
Nunc etiam pecudes umbras et frigora captant ; 
nunc virides etiam occultant spineta lacertos, 
Thestylis et rapido fessis messoribus aestu 10 

alia serpyllumque herbas contundit olentes. 
At mecum raucis, tua dum vestigia lustro, 
sole sub ardenti resonant arbusta cicadis. 
Nonne fuit satius, tristes Amaryllidis iras 
atque superba pati fastidia ? nonne Menalcas, is 

quamvis ille niger, quamvis tu candidus esses ? 
O formose puer, nimium ne crede colori ; 
alba ligustra cadunt, vaccinia nigra leguntur. 
Despectus tibi sum, nee qui sim quaeris, Alexi, 
quam dives pecoris, nivei quam lactis abundans : " 20 

Ecl. II. 

In the above observe again the position of the 
noun and its adjective in the first line. In a later 
Eclogue, where Virgil gives away his pipe, he puts the 



34 HEXAMETER VERSE 

same words into form C, and the position of the adjec- 
tive changes accordingly. 

Haec nos " Formosum Corydon ardebat Alexim," 
haec eadem docuit " Cujum pecus ? an Meliboei ? " 

The emphasis in the eighteenth line is due to the fact 
that the ligustra is always white and the vaccinia of differ- 
ent colors. Martial speaks of a girl as " fair as the swan, 
as snow, as the ligustra" showing that the ligustra was 
typical of whiteness. 

A later line in this Eclogue, — 

Semiputata tibi frondosa vitis in ulmo est, 

which was shown by the first half of the line to be in 
form B i, troubled me very much till I found a note by 
Connington that " it was equally bad husbandry for the 
vine to be semiputata and for the elm to he frondosa" as 
either would prevent the maturing of the grape. 



M. Die mihi, Damoeta, cuium pecus ? an Meliboei ? 
D. Non, verum Aegonis ; nuper mihi tradidit Aegon. 

This beginning of the third Eclogue is a close repeti- 
tion of the first two lines of the fourth Idyl of Theocri- 
tus : — 

El7T€ fXOL, 00 K.OpV$(J)V, TLVOS (U /?0€? ; rj pa $l\(x>v8(1 ; 

ovk, aW AtycoFOS' fiocrKev Se /xot cdrras e'Sco/ccv. 

Paley, in the notes to his Theocritus, remarks on avrds 
that Virgil's manuscript evidently had avros, which would 
give better sense. 

According to my theory auros is required as being em- 
phatic, which ai/ras is not. If the views set forth in this 



HEXAMETER VERSE 35 

book are correct, much aid will be given thereby in re- 
forming texts. 

Observe also that Virgil translates avros by repeating 
the name Aegon (which is not emphatic), whereas ipse 
would be and spoil the rhythm. 

The following from the same Eclogue is very spirited, 
and perhaps illustrates the several forms of verse more 
clearly than any preceding passage : — 

M. Quid domini faciant, audent cum talia fures ? 
Non ego te vidi, Damonis, pessime, caprum 
excipere insidiis, multum latrante Lycisca ? 
et cum clamarem " Quo nunc se proripit ille ? 
Tityre, coge pecus ! " tu post carecta latebas. 20 

D. An mihi cantando victus non redderet ille 

quern mea carminibus meruisset fistula caprum ? 
Si nescis, meus ille caper fuit ; et mihi Damon 
ipse fatebatur, sed reddere posse negabat. 24 

M. Cantando tu ilium ? aut umquam tibi fistula cera 
iuncta fuit ? non tu in triviis, indocte, solebas 
stridenti miserum stipula disperdere carmen ? 

D. Vis ergo inter nos quid posset uterque vicissim 
experiamur ? ego hanc vitulam (ne forte recuses, 
bis venit ad mulctram, binos alit ubere fetus,) 30 
depono : tu die, mecum quo pignore certes. 

M. De grege non ausim quicquam deponere tecum : 
est mihi namque domi pater, et iniusta noverca ; 
bisque die numerant ambo pecus, alter et haedos. 
Verum, id quod multo tute ipse fatebere maius, 35 
insanire libet quoniam tibi, pocula ponam 
fagina, caelatum divini opus Alcimedontis : 
lenta quibus torno facili super addita vitis 



36 HEXAMETER VERSE 

diffusos hedera vescit pallente corymbos. 
In medio duo signa, Conon et — quis fuit alter, 40 
descripsit radio totum qui gentibus orbem, 
tempora quae messor, quae curvus arator haberet ? 
necdum illis labra admovi, sed condita servo. 
D. Et nobis idem Alcimedon duo pocula fecit, 

et molli circum est ansas amplexus acantho, 45 
Orpheaque in medio posuit silvasque sequentes ; 
necdum illis labra admovi, sed condita servo. 
Si ad vitulam spectas, nihil est quod pocula laudes. 
Ecloga III. 1-2 and 16-48. 

The following passages from the Georgics are selected 
for the reason that emphasis is quite marked throughout 
both, as Virgil is describing the nature of different souls 
and methods of culture. In the second passage the 
emphasis on glauca in the thirteenth line is because it 
refers to a particular kind of willow ; and the emphasis 
in the twenty-fifth line grows out of two methods of 
planting slips, — by one of which the end was split into 
quarters, and by the other it was sharpened. 

Vere novo gelidus canis cum montibus umor 
liquitur et Zephyro putris se glaeba resolvit, 
depresso incipiat iam turn mihi taurus aratro 45 

ingemere, et sulco attritus splendescere vomer. 
Ula seges demum votis respondet avari 
agricolae, bis quae solem, bis frigora sensit ; 
illius immensae ruperunt horrea messes. 
At prius ignotum ferro quam scindimus aequor, 50 

ventos et varium caeli praediscere morem 
cura sit ac patrios cultusque habitusque locorum, 
et quid quaeque ferat regio et quid quaeque recuset. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 37 

Hie segetes, illic veniunt felicius uvae, 
arborei fetus alibi, atque injussa virescunt 55 

gramina. Nonne vides croceos ut Tmolus odores, 
India mittit ebur, molles sua tura Sabaei, 
at Chalybes nudi ferrum, virosaque Pontus 
castorea, Eliadum palmas Epiros equarum ? 
Continue* has leges aeternaque foedera certis 60 

imposuit natura locis, quo tempore primum 
Deucalion vacuum lapides iactavit in orbem, 
unde homines nati, durum genus. Ergo age, terrae 
pingue solum primis extemplo a mensibus anni 
fortes invertant tauri, glaebasque iacentes 65 

pulverulenta coquat maturis solibus aestas ; 
at si non fuerit tellus fecunda, sub ipsum 
Arcturum tenui sat erit suspendere sulco : 
illic, officiant laetis ne frugibus herbae, 
hie, sterilem exiguus ne deserat umor harenam. 7 <> 

Georg. I. 43-70. 

Hactenus arvorum cultus et sidera caeli ; 
nunc te, Bacche, canam, nee non silvestria tecum 
virgulta et prolem tarde crescentis olivae. 
Hue, pater o Lenaee ; tuis hie omnia plena 
muneribus, tibi pampineo gravidus autumno 5 

floret ager, spumat plenis vindemia labris ; 
hue, pater o Lenaee, veni, nudataque musto 
tingue novo mecum dereptis crura cothurnis. 

Principio arboribus varia est natura creandis. 
Namque aliae nullis hominum cogentibus ipsae 10 

sponte sua veniunt camposque et flumina late 
curva tenent, ut molle siler, lentaeque genistae, 
populus et glauca canentia fronde salicta ; 



38 HEXAMETER VERSE 

pars autem posito surgunt de semine, ut altae 
castaneae, nemorumque Iovi quae maxima frondet 15 
aesculus, atque habitae Graiis oracula quercus. 
Pullulat ab radice aliis densissima silva, 
ut cerasis ulmisque ; etiam Parnasia laurus 
parva sub ingenti matris se subiicit umbra. 
Hos natura modos primum dedit, his genus omne 20 
silvarum fruticumque viret nemorumque sacrorum. 

Sunt alii, quos ipse via sibi repperit usus. 
Hie plantas tenero abscindens de corpore matrum 
deposuit sulcis ; hie stirpes obruit arvo 
quadrifidasque sudes et acuto robore vallos. 25 

Silvarumque aliae pressos propaginis arcus 
expectant et viva sua plantaria terra ; 
nil radicis egent aliae, summumque putator 
haud dubitat terrae referens mandare cacumen. 
Quin et caudicibus sectis (mirabile dictu) 30 

truditur e sicco radix oleagina ligno. 
Et saepe alterius ramos impune videmus 
vertere in alterius, mutatamque insita mala 
ferre pirum, et prunis lapidosa rubescere corna. 

Georg. II. 1-34. 

The following is one of four passages printed herein 
selected at my request by Professor IVforgan without 
knowledge on his part of the purpose for which they 
were to be used. The other three are the selection from 
Juvenal's tenth satire ; the selection from Odyssey III., 
and the simile from Iliad II., hereafter given. 

The third book tells that part of the story of Aeneas 
which relates to what took place after the destruction of 
Troy, hence the emphasis on Postquam. In the twelfth 



HEXAMETER VERSE 39 

line, the words in the ablative are in pairs owing to the 
omission of one connective "and ; " and, as in English, in 
case of pairs of words of quasi kindred signification, the 
second is slightly emphasized. So felix faustusque, and 
Homer's ''death and destruction," "death and doom," 
and the like. 

Postquam res Asiae Priamique evertere gentem 
immeritam visum superis, ceciditque superbum 
Ilium et omnis humo fumat Neptunia Troia, 
diversa exilia et desertas quaerere terras 
auguriis agimur divum, classemque sub ipsa 5 

Antandro et Phrygiae molimur montibus Idae, 
incerti quo fata ferant, ubi sistere detur, 
contrahimusque viros. Vix prima inceperat aestas, 
et pater Anchises dare fatis vela iubebat, 
litora cum patriae lacrimans portusque relinquo 10 

et campos, ubi Troia fuit. Feror exul in altum 
cum sociis natoque Penatibus et magnis dis. 

Terra procul vastis colitur Mavortia campis, 
(Thraces arant) acri quondam regnata Lycurgo, 
hospitium antiquum Troiae sociique Penates, 15 

dum fortuna fuit. Feror hue, et litore curvo 
moenia prima loco fatis ingressus iniquis, 
Aeneadasque meo nomen de nomine fingo. 

Sacra Dionaeae matri divisque ferebam 
auspicibus coeptorum operum, superoque nitentem 20 
caelicolum regi mactabam in litore taurum. 
Forte fuit iuxta tumulus, quo cornea summo 
virgulta et densis hastilibus horrida myrtus. 
Accessi, viridemque ab humo convellere silvam 
conatus, ramis tegerem ut frondentibus aras, 25 



40 HEXAMETER VERSE 

horrendum et dictu video mirabile monstrum. 

Nam quae prima solo ruptis radicibus arbos 

vellitur, huic atro linquuntur sanguine guttae 

et terrain tabo maculant. Mihi frigidus horror 

membra quatit, gelidusque coit formidine sanguis. 30 

Rursus et alterius lentum convellere vimen 

insequor et causas penitus temptare latentes : 

ater et alterius sequitur de cortice sanguis. 

Multa movens animo Nymphas venerabar agrestes 

G-radivumque patrem, Geticis qui praesidet arvis, 35 

rite secundarent visus omenque levarent. 

Tertia sed postquam maiore hastilia nisu 

aggredior genibusque adversae obluctor harenae, 

(eloquar an sileam ?) gemitus lacrimabilis imo 

auditur tumulo, et vox reddita fertur ad aures : 40 

" Quid miserum, Aenea, laceras ? iam parce sepulto, 

parce pias scelerare manus : non me tibi Troia 

externum tulit aut cruor hie de stipite manat. 

Heu fuge crudeles terras, fuge litus avarum. 

Nam Polydorus ego : hie confixum ferrea texit 45 

telorum seges et iaculis increvit acutis." 

Turn vero ancipiti mentem formidine pressus 

obstupui stetruntque comae et vox faucibus haesit. 

Aen. III. 1-48. 

In the following passage emphasis is comparatively 
slight. As to the fourth line I am in some doubt 
whether C 2 was not intended. In the fifth line multa 
is, comparatively speaking, unemphatic, being in effect a 
repetition of the preceding multum. In the ninth line 
regina deum is so emphasized as being a periphrasis for 
the name of Juno just used. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 41 

Arma virumque cano, Trojae qui primus ab oris 

Italiam, fato profugus, Lavinia venit 

litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto 

vi superum, saevae memorem Iunnois ob iram, 

multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem 5 

inferretque deos Latio, genus unde Latinum 

Albanique patres atque altae moenia Romae. 

Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine laeso, 
quidve dolens regina deum tot volvere casus 
insignem pietate virum, tot adire labores 10 

impulerit. Tantaene animis caelestibus irae ? 

Aen. I. 1— 1 1. 



The emphasis of the following passage seems very 
modern, particularly that on the prepositions in line 3 1 1 
and on potuit ax\dfuit in lines 312, 313. 

Vix ea legati, variusque per ora cucurrit 
Ausonidum turbata fremor : ceu saxa morantur 
cum rapidos amnes, fit clauso gurgite murmur, 
vicinaeque fremunt ripae crepitantibus undis. 
Ut primum placati animi et trepida ora quierunt, 300 
praefatus divos solio rex infit ab alto : — 
" Ante equidem summa de re statuisse, Latini, 
et vellem et fuerat melius, non tempore tali 
cogere concilium, cum muros assidet hostis. 
Bellum importunum, cives, cum gente deorum 30s 

invictisque viris gerimus, quos nulla fatigant 
proelia : nee victi possunt absistere ferro. 
Spem si quam ascitis Aetolum habuistis in armis, 
ponite. Spes sibi quisque : sed haec quam angusta 
videtis. 



42 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Cetera qua rerum iaceant perculsa ruina, 3 "> 

ante oculos interque manus sunt omnia vestras. 
Nee quemquam incuso : potuit quae plurima virtus 
esse, fuit ; toto certatum est corpore regni. 

Aen. XL 296-313. 

The text of Lucretius is very doubtful ; but as his 
writings are argumentative, and as he is constantly draw- 
ing distinctions, they afford very good illustrations of the 
theory of this book. He thus tells the story of Iphigenia 
to show that no one should have superstitious fear about 
studying science or philosophy. In the 100th line Mun- 
roe considers moesta very emphatic from its position. 
According to my theory, it is not, and the thought of the 
passage throws the emphasis where I have placed it. 
This in my judgment is a very frequent instance of a 
word being put out of its natural order because it is not 
emphatic and because a non-emphatic word is required in 
that place. The liberty of shifting the order of words in 
Latin and Greek gave a great advantage over the Eng- 
lish writer ; and words are placed where we find them 
because they are emphatic or because they are unem- 
phatic much more frequently than to make them the one 
or the other. 

Illud in his rebus vereor, ne forte rearis 
Impia te rationis inire elementa, viamque 
Indogredi sceleris : quod contra saepius ilia 
Religio peperit scelerosa atque impia facta. 

Aulide quo pacto Triviai virginis aram 80 

Iphianassai turparunt sanguine foede 
Ductores Danaum delecti, prima virorum. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 43 

Cui simul infula, virgineos circumdata comptus, 

Ex utraque pari malarum parte profusa est, 

Et moestum simul ante aras adstare parentem 90 

Sensit, et hunc propter ferrum celare ministros, 

Adspectuque suo lacrymas effundere cives ; 

Muta metu terrain, genibus submissa, petebat : 

Nee miserae prodesse in tali tempore quibat, 

Quod patrio princeps donarat nomine regem. 95 

Nam sublata virum manibus tremebundaque ad aras 

Deducta est ; non ut, solemni more sacrorum 

Perfecto, posset claro comitari Hymenaeo ; 

Sed casta inceste, nubendi tempore in ipso 

Hostia concideret mactatu moesta parentis, 100 

Exitus ut classi felix faustusque daretur. 

Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum ! 

Lucretius I. 81-102. 

Lucretius then goes on, as an introduction to his 
Theory of Atoms, to prove the fundamental principle 
that " no thing is derived from nothing by divine power 
ever." This principle he states in line 151 in form D. 

Hunc igitur terrorem animi tenebrasque necesse est 
Non radii solis, nee lucida tela diei 
Discutiant, sed naturae species, ratioque : 
Principium hinc cujus nobis exordia sumet, 150 

Nullam rem e nihilo gigni divinitus unquam. 
Quippe ita formido mortales continet omnes, 
Quod multa in terris fieri coeloque tuentur, 
Quorum operum causas nulla ratione videre 
Possunt, ac fieri divino numine rentur. 155 

Quas ob res, ubi viderimus nil posse creari 
De nihilo, turn, quod sequimur, jam rectius inde 



44 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Perspiciemus, et unde queat res quaeque creari, 
Et quo quaeque modo fiant opera sine divum. 

If it were not so he says that animals and plants would 
not belong to fixed species ; would not occupy their 
appropriate places in the universe ; nor come into exist- 
ence at propitious seasons ; nor require time nor food 
with which to grow ; nor could they be improved by cul- 
tivation. An examination of the following passage will 
show how the significant words are emphasized as the 
thought changes. 

Nam, si de nihilo fierent, ex omnibu' rebus 160 

Omne genus nasci posset ; nil semine egeret : 
E mare primum homines, e terra posset oriri 
Squamigerum genus et volucres ; erumpere coelo 
Armenta atque aliae pecudes ; genus omne ferarum 
Incerto partu culta ac deserta tenerent : i6 S 

Nee fructus iidem arboribus constare solerent, 
Sed mutarentur : ferre omnes omnia possent. 
Quippe, ubi non essent genitalia corpora cuique, 
Qui posset mater rebus consistere certa ? 
At nunc, seminibus quia certis quaeque creantur, i 7 o 
Inde enascitur atque oras in luminis exit, 
Materies ubi inest cuj usque et corpora prima : 
Atque hac re nequeunt ex omnibus omnia gigni 
Quod certis in rebus inest secreta facultas. 

Praeterea, cur vere rosam, frumenta calore, 175 

Vites autumno fundi suadente videmus ; 
Si non, certa suo quia tempore semina rerum 
Quum confluxerunt, patefit quodcumque creatur, 
Dum tempestates adsunt, et vivida tellus 
Tuto res teneras effert in luminis oras ? 180 



HEXAMETER VERSE 45 

Quod si de nihilo fierent, subito exorerentur 
Incerto spatio, atque alienis partibus anni : 
Quippe ubi nulla forent primordia, quae genitali 
Concilio possent arceri tempore iniquo. 

Nee porro augendis rebus spatio foret usus 185 

Seminis ad coitum, e nihilo si crescere possent. 
Nam fierent juvenes subito ex infantibu parvis, 
E terraque exorta repente arbusta salirent : 
Quorum nil fieri manifestum est, omnia quando 
Paulatim crescunt, ut par est, semine certo ; 190 

Crescendoque genus servant ; ut noscere possis, 
Quaeque sua de materia grandescere alique. 

Hue accedit, uti sine certis imbribus anni 
Laetificos nequeat foetus submittere tellus : 
Nee porro, secreta cibo, natura animantum 19s 

Propagare genus possit, vitamque tueri : 
Ut potius multis communia corpora rebus 
Multa putes esse, ut verbis elementa videmus, 
Quam sine principiis ullam rem existere posse. 

Denique cur homines tantos natura parare 200 

Non potuit, pedibus qui pontum per vada possent 
Transire, et magnos manibus divellere montes, 
Multaque vivendo vitalia vincere saecla ; 
Si non, materies quia rebus reddita certa est 
Grignendis, e qua constat quid possit oriri ? 205 

Nil igitur fieri de nilo posse fatendum est ; 
Semine quando opus est rebus, quo quaeque creatae 
Aeris in teneras possint proferrier auras. 

Postremo, quoniam incultis praestare videmus 
Culta loca, et manibus meliores reddere foetus ; 210 

Esse videlicet in terris primordia rerum, 
Quae nos, foecundas vertentes vomere glebas, 



46 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Terraique solum subigentes, cimus ad ortus. 
Quod si nulla forent, nostra sine quaeque labore 
Sponte sua multo fieri meliora videres. 215 

Lucretius, I. 147-215. 

In the following passage he criticises Heraclitus, and 
intimates that his reputation depends upon his use of 
obscure language which men cannot understand, rather 
than upon the justice of his views. 

Quapropter, qui materiem rerum esse putarunt 
ignem, atque ex igni summam consistere solo, 
magnopere a vera lapsi ratione videntur. 
Heraclitus init quorum dux proelia primus, 
clarus ob obscuram linguam magis inter inanes 6 4 o 

quamde graves inter Graios, qui vera requirunt. 
Omnia enim stolidi magis admirantur amantque, 
inversis quae sub verbis latitantia cernunt ; 
Veraque constituunt, quae belle tangere possunt 
aures, et lepido quae sunt fucata sonore. 645 

Lucretius, I. 636-645. 

In the next passage he denies that any theory that 
matter is made up of earth, air, fire or water, or any com- 
bination of them, is correct. The last line affords an 
illustration of skill in putting the names of the four ele- 
ments into three emphatic places. 

Quapropter, qui materiem rerum esse putarunt 

ignem, atque ex igni summam consistere posse ; 

et qui principium gignendis aera rebus 

constituere ; aut humorem quicumque putarunt 

fingere res ipsum per se, terramve creare 7"> 

omnia, et in rerum naturas vertier omnes ; 



HEXAMETER VERSE 47 

magnopere a vero longeque errasse videntur. 

Adde etiam, qui conduplicant primordia rerum, 

Aera iungentes igni terramque liquori ; 

et qui quatuor ex rebus posse omnia rentur, 715 

ex igni, terra atque anima, processere, et imbri. 

Lucretius, I. 706-716. 

In the following, Lucretius states the satisfactions of 
philosophy : — 

Suave, mari magno turbantibus aequora ventis, 

e terra magnum alterius spectare laborem ; 

non, quia vexari quemquam est iucunda voluptas, 

sed, quibus ipse malis careas, quia cernere suave est. 

Per campos instructa, tua sine parte pericli, 5 

suave etiam, belli certamina magna tueri. 

Sed nil dulcius est, bene quam munita tenere 

edita doctrina sapientum templa serena ; 

despicere unde queas alios, passimque videre 

errare, atque viam palantes quaerere vitae, 10 

certare ingenio, contendere nobilitate, 

noctes atque dies niti praestante labore 

ad summas emergere opes, rerumque potiri. 

Lucretius, II. 1-13. 

Juvenal was nothing if not emphatic, and his lines, 
which are highly finished, conform with great rigor to 
the principles set forth in this book. 
Ilia tamen gravior, quae cum discumbere coepit 
laudat Virgilium, periturae ignoscit Elissae, 43s 

committit vates et comparat, inde Maronem 
atque alia parte in trutina suspendit Homerum. 
cedunt grammatici, vincuntur rhetores, omnis 



48 HEXAMETER VERSE 

turba tacet, nee causidicus nee preco loquatur, 

altera nee mulier : verborum tanta cadit vis, 440 

tot pariter pelves ac tintinnabula dicas 

pulsari. iam nemo tubas, nemo aera fatiget ; 

una laboranti poterit succurrere lunae. 

non habeat matrona, tibi quae iuncta recumbit, 

dicendi genus, aut curtum sermone rotato 445 

torqueat enthymema, nee historias sciat omnes, 

sed quaedam ex libris et non intelligat. odi 

hanc ego, quae repetit volvitque Palaemonis artem, 

servata semper lege et ratione loquendi, 

ignotosque mihi tenet antiquaria versus, 450 

nee curanda viris opicae castigat amicae 

verba ; soloecisma liceat fecisse marito. 

imponit finem sapiens et rebus honestis ; 

nam quae docta nimis cupit et facunda videri, 

crure tenus medio tunicas succingere debet, 455 

caedere Silvano porcum, quadrante lavari. 

Nil non permittit mulier sibi, turpe putat nil, 
cum virides gemmas collo circumdedit et cum 
auribus extentis magnos commisit elenchos. 
intolerabilus nihil est, quam femina dives. 460 

Juvenal. Sat. VI, 434-460. 

Hae tamen et partus subeunt discrimen et omnes 
nutricis tolerant fortuna urgente labores, " 
sed jacet aurato vix ulla puerpera lecto. 
tantum artes hums, tantum medicamina possunt, 595 

quae steriles facit atque homines in ventre necandos 
conducit. gaude, infelix, atque ipse bibendum 
porrige, quidquid erit ; nam si distendere vellet 
et vexare uterum pueris salientibus, esses 



HEXAMETER VERSE 49 

Aethiopis fortasse pater, mox decolor heres 600 

impleret tabulas nunquam tibi mane videndus. 

Juvenal. Sat. VI. 592-602. 

In the last line of the following extract I am in some 
doubt as to the true emphasis. The participle in -dus 
commonly takes the emphasis rather than the auxiliary, 
but in this case the use is peculiar. Juvenal's reasoning 
is that he advises men not to pray at all, but if they are 
so superstitious that they must pray, a sound mind in a 
sound body is a thing that may with some propriety be 
asked. 

A different solution of the line is possible, but I think 
the Romans emphasized the auxiliary verb very much as 
we do. In the Aen. II., the ghost of Hector says to 
Aeneas : — 

" Sat patriae Priamoque datum : si Pergama dextra 
defendi possent etiam hac defensa fuissent." 

"You have done enough for your country and for 
Priam. If Pergama could have been defended by (any) 
right hand, it would have been defended by (hac) mine." 
Here the emphasis falls, as it would with us, on the aux- 
iliary fuissent. In the same way the following passage 
in the third book where Aeneas takes farewell of Andro- 
mache and his countrymen who have made a settle- 
ment : — 

" Vivite felices, quibus est fortuna peracta 

iam sua : nos alia ex aliis in fata vocamur." 
If my emphasis upon the auxiliary est is correct, which 
depends upon whether vivite is emphatic, the translation 
should be — " whose fortune hath been achieved/' 



50 HEXAMETER VERSE 

" Nil ergo optabunt homines ? " si consilium vis, 
permittes ipsis expendere numinibus, quid 
conveniat nobis rebusque sit utile nostris. 
nam pro jucundis aptissima quaeque dabunt di. 350 

carior est illis homo quam sibi. nos animorum 
impulsu et caeca magnaque cupidine ducti 
conjugium petimus partumque uxoris ; at illis 
notum, qui pueri qualisque futura sit uxor, 
ut tamen et poscas aliquid, voveasque sacellis 355 

exta et candiduli divina tomacula porci, 
orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano. 

Juvenal. Sat. X. 346-356. 

The following satire and two epistles of Horace are 
given entire : — 

I bam forte via Sacra, sicut meus est mos 
Nescio quid meditans nugarum, totus in illis : 
Accurrit quidam notus mihi nomine tantum, 
Arreptaque manu, " Quid agis, dulcissime rerum ? " 
" Suaviter ut nunc est," inquam, " et cupio omnia quae 

vis." 5 

Cum assectaretur : " Num quid vis ? " occupo. At 

ille, 
" Noris nos," inquit ; " docti sumus." Hie ego, "Pluris 
Hoc," inquam, " mihi eris." Misere discedere quaerens 
Ire modo ocius, interdum consistere, in aurem 
Dicere nescio quid puero, cum sudor ad imos 10 

Manaret talos. O te, Bolane, cerebri 
Felicem ! aiebam tacitus ; cum quidlibet ille 
Garriret, vicos, urbem laudaret. Ut illi 
Nil respond ebam, " Misere cupis," inquit, " abire ; 
Jamdudum video ; sed nil agis ; usque tenebo ; is 



HEXAMETER VERSE 5 I 

Persequar : hinc quo nunc iter est tibi ? " " Nil opus " 

est te 
Circumagi ; quendam volo visere non tibi notum ; 
Trans Tiberim longe cubat is prope Caesaris hortos." 
u Nil habeo quod agam et non sum piger ; usque se- 

quar te." 
Demitto auriculas ut iniquae mentis asellus, 20 

Cum gravius dorso subiit onus. Incipit ille : 
" Si bene me novi non Viscum pluris amicum, 
Non Varium facies ; nam quis me scribere plures 
Aut citius possit versus ? quis membra movere 
Mollius ? Invideat quod et Hermogenes ego canto." 25 
Interpellandi locus hie erat : " Est tibi mater, 
Cognati, quis te salvo est opus ? " — " Haud mihi quis- 

quam. 
Omnes composui." — Felices! nunc ego resto. 
Confice ; namque instat fatum mihi triste Sabella 
Quod puero cecinit divina mota anus urna : 30 

Hunc neque dira venena nee hosticus auferet ensis 
Nee laterum dolor aut tussis nee tarda podagra ; 
G-arrulus hunc quando consumet cunque ; loquaces 
Si sapiat vitet simul atque adoleverit aetas. 
Ventum erat ad Vestae, quarta jam parte diei 35 

Praeterita, et casu tunc respondere vadato 
Debebat, quod ni fecisset perdere litem. 
" Si me amas," inquit, " paulum hie ades." " Inteream si 
Aut valeo stare aut novi civilia jura ; 
Et propero quo scis." " Dubius sum quid faciam," in- 
quit, 40 
"Tene relinquam an rem." "Me sodes." "Non fa- 
ciam " ille ; 
Et praecedere coepit. Ego ut contendere durum est 



52 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Cum victore sequor. " Maecenas quomodo tecum ? " 
Hinc repetit ; " paucorum hominum et mentis bene 

sanae ; 
Nemo dexterius fortuna est usus. Haberes 4 s 

Magnum adjutorem posset qui ferre secundas, 
Hunc hominem velles si tradere ; dispeream ni 
Submosses omnes." "Non isto vivimus illic 
Quo tu rere modo ; domus hac nee purior ulla est 
Nee magis his aliena malis ; nil mi officit unquam, 5° 
Ditior hie aut est quia doctior ; est locus uni 
Cuique suus." "Magnum narras, vix credibile ! " 

" Atqui 
Sic habet." " Accendis, quare cupiam magis illi 
Proximus esse." "Velis tantummodo : quae tua vir- 
tus, 
Expugnabis ; et est qui vinci possit, eoque 5$ 

Difficiles aditus primos habet." " Haud mihi deero : 
Muneribus servos corrumpam ; non hodie si 
Exclusus fuero desistam ; tempora quaeram, 
Occurram in triviis, deducam. Nil sine magno 
Vita labore dedit mortalibus." Haec dum agit, ecce 60 
Fuscus Aristius occurrit, mihi carus et ilium 
Qui pulchre nosset. Consistimus. Unde venis ? et 
Quo tendis ? rogat et respondet. Vellere coepi 
Et prensare manu lentissima brachia, nutans, 
Distorquens oculos, ut me eriperet. Male salsus 65 
Ridens dissimulare : meum jecur urere bilis. 
" Certe nescio quid secreto velle loqui te 
Aiebas mecum." "Memini bene, sed meliore 
Tempore dicam ; hodie tricesima sabbata : vin tu 
Curtis Judaeis oppedere ? " "Nulla mihi, inquam, 7 <> 
Religio est." " At mi ; sum paulo infirmior, unus 



HEXAMETER VERSE 53 

Multorum ; ignosces ; alias loquar." Huncine solem 
Tarn nigrum surrexe mihi ! Fugit improbus ac me 
Sub cultro linquit. Casu venit obvius illi 
Adversarius et : " Quo tu turpissime ? " magna 75 

Inclamat voce ; et " Licet antestari ? " Ego vero 
Oppono auriculam. Rapit in jus ; clamor utrinque ; 
Undique concursus. Sic me servavit Apollo. 

Horace, I. Sat. IX. 



Quamvis, Scaeva, satis per te tibi consulis, et scis 

Quo tandem pacto deceat majoribus uti, 

Disce, docendus adhuc quae censet amiculus, ut si 

Caecus iter monstrare velit ; tamen adspice si quid 

Et nos quod cures proprium fecisse loquamur. 5 

Si te grata quies et primam somnus in horam 

Delectat, si te pulvis strepit usque rotarum, 

Si laedit caupona, Ferentinum ire jubebo ; 

Nam neque divitibus contingunt gaudia solis, 

Nee vixit male qui natus moriensque fefellit. 10 

Si prodesse tuis pauloque benignius ipsum 

Te tractare voles, accedes siccus ad unctum. 

" Si pranderet olus patient er regibus uti 

Nollet Aristippus." " Si sciret regibus uti 

Fastidiret olus qui me notat." Utrius horum 15 

Verba probes et facta doce, vel junior audi 

Cur sit Aristippi potior sententia ; namque 

Mordacem Cynicum sic eludebat, ut aiunt : 

" Scurror ego ipse mihi, populo tu ; rectius hoc et 

Splendidius multo est. Equus ut me portet, alat rex, 20 

Officium facio : tu poscis vilia rerum, 

Dante minor quamvis fers te nullius egentem." 



54 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Omnis Aristippum decuit color et status et res, 

Tentantem majora fere, praesentibus aequum. 

Contra quern duplici panno patientia velat 25 

Mirabor vitae via si conversa decebit. 

Alter purpureum non exspectabit amictum, 

Quidlibet indutus celeberrima per loca vadet, 

Personamque feret non inconcinnus utramque ; 

Alter Mileti textam cane pejus et angui 3° 

Vitabit chlamydem, morietur frigore si non 

Rettuleris pannum. Refer et sine vivat ineptus. 

Res gerere et captos ostendere civibus hostes 

Attingit solium Jovis et caelestia tentat : 

Principibus placuisse viris non ultima laus est. 35 

Non cuivis homini contingit adire Corinthum. 

Sedit qui timuit ne non succederet. Esto ! 

Quid qui pervenit, fecitne viriliter ? Atqui 

Hie est aut nusquam quod quaerimus. Hie onus hor- 

ret, 
Ut parvis animis et parvo corpore majus : 40 

Hie subit et perfert. Aut virtus nomen inane est, 
Aut decus et pretium recte petit experiens vir. 
Coram rege suo de paupertate tacentes 
Plus poscente ferent ; distat sumasne pudenter 
An rapias. : Atqui rerum caput hoc erat, hie fons. 45 
" Indotata mihi soror est, paupercula mater, 
Et fundus nee vendibilis nee pascere firmus," 
Qui dicit, clamat, "Victum date." Succinit alter: 
" Et mihi dividuo findetur munere quadra." 
Sed tacitus pasci si posset corvus haberet 50 

Plus dapis et rixae multo minus invidiaeque. 
Brundisium comes aut Surrentum ductus amoenum, 
Qui queritur salebras et acerbum frigus et imbres, 



HEXAMETER VERSE 55 

Aut cistam effractam et subducta viatica plorat, 
Nota refert meretricis acumina, saepe catellam, 55 

Saepe periscelidem raptam sibi flentis, uti mox 
Nulla fides damnis verisque doloribus adsit. 
Nee semel irrisus triviis attollere curat 
Fracto crure planum, licet illi plurima manet 
Lacrima, per sanctum juratus dicat Osirim : 60 

" Credite non ludo ; crudeles, tollite claudum." 
" Quaere peregrinum," vicinia rauca reclamat. 

Horace, Epistle XVII. 



Vertumrmm Janumque, liber, spectare videris, 

Scilicet ut prostes Sociorum pumice mundus. 

Odisti claves et grata sigilla pudico ; 

Paucis ostendi gemis et communia laudas, 

Non ita nutritus. Fuge quo descendere gestis. 

Non erit emisso reditus tibi. " Quid miser egi ? 

Quid volui ? " dices ubi quis te laeserit : et scis 

In breve te cogi cum plenus languet amator. 

Quodsi non odio peccantis desipit augur, 

Carus eris Romae donee te deserat aetas ; 

Contrectatus ubi manibus sordescere vulgi 

Coeperis, aut tineas pasces taciturnus inertes, 

Aut fugies Uticam aut vinctus mitteris Ilerdam. 

Ridebit monitor non exauditus, ut ille 

Qui male parentem in rupes protrusit asellum 

Iratus : quis enim invitum servare laboret ? 

Hoc quoque te manet, ut pueros elementa docentem 

Occupet extremis in vicis balba senectus. 

Cum tibi sol tepidus plures admoverit aures, 

Me, libertino natum patre et in tenui re, 



56 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Majores pennas nido extendisse loqueris, 

Ut quantum generi demas virtutibus addas ; 

Me primis Urbis belli placuisse domique ; 

Corporis exigui, praecanum,' solibus aptum, 

Irasci celerem, tamen ut placabilis essem. 25 

Forte meum si quis te percontabitur aevum, 

Me quater undenos sciat implevisse Decembres 

Collegam Lepidum quo duxit Lollius anno. 

Horace, Epistle XX. Book I. 

The precise emphasis in Homer is less easy for me to 
detect than in the Latin verse ; partly, perhaps, because 
his idioms are less like the English. If the fact be 
that the Homeric poems were sung or chanted, exact 
emphasis would be less important and slight variations 
less felt than in poems which were simply read. The 
great body of Homer, however, conforms to what I 
believe to have been ideal lines. The following was 
selected as being a famous passage, and not because it 
is favorable to my theories. It is in that respect about 
average ; and of the seventy-eight lines there are some 
half a dozen wherein the emphasis is questionable. The 
questionable features, however, both here and elsewhere, 
are infrequent in passages where the emphasis is marked. 

At the end of the preceding book it was stated that 
the arrow which Odysseus used in shooting through the 
axes was lying on the table, the other arrows being con- 
cealed in the quiver, "as the suitors soon would prove." 
In the third line Homer states that the quiver was full; 
to imply that Odysseus had a good supply of ammuni- 
tion. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 57 

Odyssey XXII. 

Avrap 6 yv\kvco6rf pa/ce'oiv itoXv^tl^ '08u<rcreu?, 

cl\to S' eirl fieyav ov86v, eyjav |3l6v r\8e cj^apirprjv 

Icov £\L7r\eir)v, Tayeas 8* e/c\€var oiarov^ 

clvtov irpoaOe iroh&v, fierd 8e fjLvr]o-Tr\pcnv eearev 

"outo? [xev 8rj a€0Xo? ddaros iKrereXearai' 5 

vuv avre a/coirbv aXXov, ov ov ird) tls p&Xev avrjp, 

^icrofjua^ aX fee rv\(jifi^ iropy 8e yuoi €\>%o? 'AttoXXgoz;." 

^H /cal eir 'Avtlvog) IQvvero iracpbv olcttoV. 
rj tol 6 kclXov dXticrov avatpTqaeaOai e'jicXXe, 
Xpvcreov a\uf>coTOV, /cal 8t| /jletcl yjzpcrlv ivco/jia, 10 

ocfipa Trioi oivoio ' (fiovos 8e ol ov/c ivl Qv/jlco 
jjuefjuflXero ' tls k ololto fieT dvBpdcn bairv/jLovea-at 
[Lovvov ivl 7rXeov€0"crt, /cal el pdXa Kaprepo? et'77, 
oi review OdvaTov re icatcbv ical Kr\pa fieXacvav ; 
rbv 8' 3 08v<r€V§ fcard XaifJibv iTno-yoyuevos p&Xev la), 15 

aVTL/cpv 8 1 diraXolo 81 a\i%eVo? r}Xv6' a/cco/cr/. 
iKklvOr) 8* eTepcocre, Seiras Be ol e/cirecre X* l P°$ 
fiXriixevov, CLVTi/ca 8' avXbs dva plvas 7ra%vs r\X0ev 
alfjLaros avBpofjLeoio • 6oG>s 8' airo elo rpdir^av 
were 7ro8l 7rX?5fa?, curb 8' el8ara yevev epafe* 20 

clto? re /cpea r oirra (jyopvvero. rol 8' bfidh^crav 
fjLvr)<TTr}pes Kara b&fJLa9\ oircos l8ov dv8pa 7recr6vra, 
etc 8e dpovmv dvopovaav opiv#eWe? /car a 8cb^a, 
TTavToae TTaTTTatvovre^ evbfjLijrovs ttotI tol%ou?* 
ov8e irrj d(T7rl? erjv ov8' aX/ci\xov €Y%o? eXeadat. 25 

vel/cetov 8' '08v<rr\a yoXmrolaiv eir&srav 
" %elve, /caK&S a^Spcov ro^d^eaf ov/cer cieQXcov 
akXcov kvridcreLS' vvv tol cnos aL7ru? oXeOpos. 
Kal yap 8rj vvv <|)<dt<2 /care/craves o? pey apLCTTO? 
Kovpcov elv y IdaKT\' ra> a iv6d8e yvires e8ovTat." 30 

"l<r/cev eKao"TO? avrjp, eirel r) fyacrav ovk eOeXovra 



58 HEXAMETER VERSE 

dvSpa fcaraKTelvai * to 8e vxymoi ovk evoy\o-av, 

co? hr) ctcjhv Kal irdcnv 6X£Qpov ireipar ec^fjirro. 

tovs S 3 dp 3 virohpa ISoov irpoo-e<fyr\ 7to\vjul7)tl<; 'OSucro-ei'? ■ 

" co /ewe?, cu |x' eV e$dcrKe6 3 viroTpoirov oi/caS 3 t/ceo-dat 

hrjfxov diro Tpcocov, on fiot /carefceipere oikov, 36 

8|Jico^crt^ Se yvvai^l 7rapevvd£ecr6e /3t,aico<;, 

avrov re £coovto? vir^vdao-Qe yvvaiKa, 

ovre Oeovs BeicravTes, ot ovpavbv evpvv e)(oi)cm>, 

ovre tlv avOpcoircov vepuecriv KaroiricrOev eaeaOat • 40 

vvv v/jllv teal irao-LP oXtQpov ireipar ec/^Trrcu." 

*I2? c/>aTO, tovs S 3 dpa iravra? virb ^Xcopbv Seo? €lXe* 
[TTdTTTTjvev 8e eKacrro? 07797 ^V 01 ofyriiv oktOpov] 
'EiVpvfjLa'xos Be fjbiv 010? aji€i/3o'yu<e^o? irpoaeeiirev' 
"el fiev 8tj 3 OBvcrev$ 3 I0a/crjo-io$ e\Xrj\ov6as, 45 

ravra fxev aicrtfia el7ra?, oaa petficr/cov 3 Kyaioi, 
iroXXa [xev ev fieydpoicnv draffOaXa, woXXa B 3 eV aypov. 
dXX 3 6 puev r\Br] Kelrai o? a mo? eirXero ttclvtcov, 
'AvtiVoo?* outos yap i7rir\Xev rdBe €prya, 
01/ tl yd\iov rocraov KeXpy\fievo<; ovBe %aTi£(ov, 50 

aXX' dXXa (fipovecov, rd ol ovk eVeXecrcre K/oopiW, 
ocf)p 3 3 IdaKr\§ Kara Btj/jlov ivKri/Jbevrjs flacnXtvoi 
axiTo?, drap abv iratSa KaraKTetvete Xo)(TJo-a?. 
vvv B 3 6 jJiev eV y^otpT] TrefyaraL, crx) 8e faiBeo Xacoz> 
crcoz> • cWajO afJi^e? oiriaOev dp€(rad/jbevoL Kara Sfjyu-oz^, 55 

oo-cra rot kxireiroTai /cat eSrjcWcu eV /jieydpOHri, 
Tl/Jbrjv dfji(j)U dyovTes ieiKOcrdf3oiov etcaoTOS, 
\a\1c6v re %pvcrov r a7ro8cocro/u,ez/, eh 6 Ke crov Ki^p 
taz^^^ * irplv B 3 ov tl ve\LC(To-r]rbv *;e%oXcocr#afc." 

Tbv B 3 dp 3 vwobpa IBcov 7rpocrecj>T| 7roXv/jLr)TL<> 'O8uo"crev? • 
" Eu/^yu-a^', oxiS' et fiou irarpma iravr airohoire^ 61 

ooraa re vvv v\x\x earl Kal el iroOev dXX' eiridelre^ 
ovBe Kev cos en x e V a9 ^^ Xrj^aifii (f>6voio 
irplv Trdcrav \xvii]o-Tr)pa^ vir€p/3aair)V a7rcoTlcrat. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 59 

vvv v/jllv TrapcLKtirai, ivavriov rje fid^irOaL 65 

rj (frevytw, o? K€V ddvarov /cal KX\pa<; a\v£y 
aXXd rev oii (f>evt;€(r9cu otofjuai aiTrvv o\€0/ooz>." 

r/ X2? (jtaTO, T(hv S' avrov X/uto yovvara kol fyiXov r\rop. 
toZglv 8' 'Etvpvfjia'xp^ fjuerecfxtyvee btvrepov avrts' 
" &) cjyiXoi, ov yap <ryj\creL avrjp 38e )(€L/5a? adirrof?, 70 
aXX* eVet eXXafte to%ov ivgoov r)8e <f>ap£Tp7]v, 
ovSov diro %earTQV TO%a<r<T€TaL) et? o fee irdvTa? 
a/jL/JLe fcarCLKTeLVrj' aXXd fAvr)(T<bfJLeda %dp/jLr]S. 
tyatryavd re <nrdcrcrcL<r0€ real dvr La^eaOe T/oairefa? 
icov oi/cv/uLopcov eirl S' avra> iraVTe? excofjuev 75 

d8pOO£, el K€ fJLLV OVSOV a7T0i(TO/jL6V r/Se dvpQLCDV, 

tkdcofiev 8' ava dcrru, /3orj 8' wKicra yevoiro ' 
T(S zee rd^ outo? aW)jO zw vcrrara Tol^daacUTo" 

The following passages were selected for me as above 
stated. In these, as elsewhere, are many lines without 
much that we ordinarily call emphasis. Some lines, 
both in the Latin and Greek, have but four words all 
practically emphasized alike. In such cases, however, it 
will be found that the first ictus syllables of the four 
words are arranged by the ancient author according to 
one of the A forms. 

It will be observed that Homer says Pylian men ; in 
the same way he always says Phaeacian men, doctor man, 
handmaid women, and the like. Virgil likewise says 
Dryad girls, and Lucretius Greek man, and wild-beast 
animals. We thus see the road adjectives travelled to 
become nouns. In the lines immediately preceding the 
first passage, Telemachus expresses misgivings as to 
his ability to address an old man like Nestor with pro- 
priety, and Athena, in the guise of Mentor, seeks to 
encourage him. 



60 HEXAMETER VERSE 

Odyssey Til. 

Tw 8* avre irpoaretiire 6ea yXavK&TTLS 'AGrjy?;' 25 

" T^Xe/xa^', aWa puev axiro? evl (jypeal cfjct vor\<T€i<;, 
aXXa 8e Kal 8ai\W)V viro^aerat ' ov yap oico 
ov ae 0eG>v ae/cqrt yeviar6at re rpa<j)€[L€V re" 

lX H? apa ^(avrjcraa ^yrjcraTO ITaXXa5 'AGrj^r; 
Kap7ra\t/xa>? • 6 8' eirei/m pier lyjsia ftalve deoio. 30 

l%ov 8' e? IlfXtcov dv8pu>v dyvpiv re Kal e'8/oa? 
eV#' apa Ni&Tcop rjaro crvv vidcriv, apL(f)l 8' eToXpoi 
Scut ivTWofievoc Kpea r &ttt(dv aXXa t eirzipov. 
ol S* a)? ol>z; fetvous l8ov, aOpooi rfkOov airavTe5, 
XCpcrtV t ycnrd^ovTO Kal khpudaaOai dvcoyov. 35 

irpWT05 N€O"TO/0iS?75 IIe«j"io"TjoaT05 iyyvdev iXdcov 
a\L(f>OT€pa)v eXe %elpa Kal ibpvaev irapa 8atrl 
K&eaiv ev pLaXaKOio-LV, eirl yjra/JidQoiS dXiycn, 
Trap re Kaaiyv7]T(p %pao-v\L , x\8el Kal Trarepi £' 
hS)Ke 8' apa aTrXdy^voav /iot)oa5, ev 8* oivov e%eve 40 

\pv(T€i(p 8enra'i' SetSiovco jjLevos 8e 7rpocn\v8a 
IlaXXaS' 'AQy\vair)V, Kovprjv Ato5 aiyio^oto' 

" Eu^eo ^w, o) £e£ye, IIo<r€iSao)z^ ava/cw 
tox) 7a/) Kal 8a(,Tr)<; r)vTT\o-aT€ btvpo pboXovres. 
avrap €7r\\v airelcrrj^ re Kal ev^eat, rj 0€|US ecrrt', 45 

805 zeal TOTJTO) eireiTa 8eiras /JLe\irj8eo<; oivov 
0"ir€Lo-at, e7ret /cat to-Otoz^ otopiai aOavdroMnv 
vbyecrdai • 7toVt€S 8e Oecov ^areovcr dvQpoairoi. 
aXXa ve&repos ianv, 6[Lr\XtKLr) 8* ifiol avrq>' 
TOvveKa col wporepcd 8coo-(0 %pv(T£iov aXticrov" 5° 

Iliad II. 

Tea*; 8', 0)5 t 6pvL0(ov 7reT€r}V(bv ZQvea 7roXXa, 
Xtl^wy 77 yepdvav rj kvkvcov 8o\)Xt^oSet/)0)y, 460 

'Ao-to) e^ Xet|i(0^, Kauo-T/nou a^t peeQpa, 



HEXAMETER VERSE 6 1 

evda /cal evOa ttot&vtcll dyaWo/xeva Trrepvyeo'cn, 

KkayyrjSbv TrpotcaOi^ovrcov, o-fxapayel 8e re Xetfjucov, 

<w? twv ZQvea iroWa ve&v diro ical /cXlctlclcdv 

e? irehlov Trpo^eovro *2fca\Lav&piov ■ avrap vtto )(9wv 465 

<r\L£p8a\€ov /covdfii^e Troh&v avrcov re /cal iinrcop. 

tcrrav 8' iv Xei^odVi *2fca[Lav8pi(p avOejJioevTi 

[LvptoL, oacra re $v\\a /cal ixvdea yiyverai &py. 

'HvTe \LVldcov dScvdcov ZQvea 7roA,A,a, 
aX re Kara araB/ibv 7roi/jbvrj'Cov i\\d(T/covcnv [?] 470 

copy iv tiapLvr), ore re 7X^70? d"Y7ea Bevec, 
roaaoi eVt Tpd)€(rai icdpy) /eo/z-oWre? 'A)(aiot 
iv 7reSico Xaravro Siappalaai /-te/xacoTe?. 

The following passages I accompany by my own trans- 
lation, given on a previous page, in order to facilitate 
comparison ; and the comparison is quite to my disad- 
vantage in other ways as well as in emphasis. In the 
first line I think Homer would have emphasized but two 
words. Patronymics, not only here but invariably in 
Homer, are emphasized as we emphasize surnames, and 
the other name, if immediately connected with the patro- 
nymic, is treated as our given names are. Where a 
distinction is made, requiring emphasis on the given 
name, we find it in Homer as in Engish ; for example, in 
the expression, " The Atreidae, Agamemnon and Mene- 
laus," the given names are emphasized. In the begin- 
ning of the Odyssey, where Zeus says that he sent word 
to Aegisthus not to slay Atreides, nor marry his wife, 
for vengeance would come from Orestes Atreides, Orestes 
is emphasized ; and in the passage just given, Peisistratus 
is emphasized to distinguish him from his father and 
brother mentioned in the same connection ; otherwise, 



62 HEXAMETER VERSE 

except where adjectives intervene, changing the form of 
the sentence, the law seems to be invariable that the 
patronymic only is emphasized, as we should emphasize 
naturally the name John Smith. 

I do not think Homer intended to emphasize the word 
"sing." If we should ask a person to "sing something," 
" sing" would be emphasized ; but if we should say, " Sing 
us 'The Last Rose of Summer,'" "sing" would not be 
emphasized, but the title would be. In this case, the 
"Wrath of Achilles " is a title. 

My second line I (without knowing it) read as A 3. 
Homer's line, however, is Ci. I emphasized " Achaians," 
naturally, perhaps, but it was equally natural that Homer 
should not. 

Homer's seventh line is also Ci, and I (without know- 
ing it) turned it into C2, and by some instinct reversed 
the order of the later words properly. In the phrase 
"king of men," king is always emphasized in Homer 
wheresoever it may occur in a line. The emphasis is the 
same as in our phrase "A king among men." The name 
Atreides is emphasized here as occurring for the first 
time. The name of Achilles is not emphasized, as the fact 
that he was party to a quarrel is implied in the first line ; 
and the epithet Sios, though commonly not emphasized, 
here is so, and balances the complimentary epithet ap- 
plied to Agamemnon. In the other lines, I varied 
enough from the original so that exact comparison cannot 
be made. 

Iliad I. 
"Wx\viv aetSe, 0ed, Tl7]\r\ld8eco 'A^tA/^o? 
ovXofJLevrjV^ rj [LvpC 'A^atoZ? a^/ye' eOrj/ce, 
iroWa? 8* {^Oifjiov^ yjrvxdiS 'At8l irpola-^rev 



HEXAMETER VERSE 63 

r\pcoa)v, avrovs 8e k\&pia revxe tcvvtcro-iv 
oIcovolctl re irdcri, Atos 6' ireXeiero 001) A,?;, 5 

e'f ol> S?) ra irpcora hiaarrjTriv ipfoaLVre 
ArpetSr)? re ava| avSpcov ical 810? 'A^tWeu?. 

Sing, O goddess, the wrath of the son of Peleus, Achilles, — 
Wrath to Achaians accursed, and fraught with sorrows un- 
numbered ; 
Many a mighty soul to darkness it hurried untimely, 
Many a hero's corse made prey to dogs and to vultures, 
While to the end great Zeus wrought out his unfaltering 
purpose : 5 

Take up the song where first the twain were parted in quar- 
rel, 
Even Atreides, of heroes the lord, and Achilles the godlike. 

In the following passage I also varied from the origi- 
nal, except in the last line, which is in reality a form of 
D, being emphatic throughout, and by chance my trans- 
lation is the same : — 

Iliad VI. 

Tbv 8* add' * lTT7roXo^oto 7rpoo-r\v8a (f>ai8i/Jio<; uio?" 

" TvSeiSrj fjLeyddvfjie, tvx\ yeverjv epeeiveis ; 145 

ol'rj TT€p (frvWi&v yever), tolj] Se teal avSpwv. 

fyvWa to, p.ev r ave^o? ^a/maSis X* 6L ' &\A a 8e 6 i v\r) 

TT\\e66coaa <£u€i, eapos 8 9 kiriyiyveTai tip?) ' 

w? avbp&v yever) r) /xev <|ni€l r) & a7ro\r\yei. 

Generations of men are like to the leaves of the forest ; 

Leaves of to-day to earth by the winds are strewn, but to- 
morrow 

New leaves start in the woodlands, they quicken, and lo, it 
is springtime : 10 

So generations of men, one cometh, another departeth. 



64 HEXAMETER VERSE 

The following lines, describing the designs on the 
shield of Achilles, were preceded by the statement that 
Hephaistos made the shield and wrought upon it much 
curious work ; therefore the word "wrought " should not 
be emphasized again, — the emphasis falling simply on 
the names of the things represented. Not observing 
what went before I know now that I emphasized wrought 
and read the line as A 3 ; and that later, noticing what 
preceded, I unconsciously forced the line emphasizing the 
second "on it" instead of "sea," turning the line into 
C 2, — which of course was wrong. Homer's emphasis 
in all these lines is exactly right. In my second line I 
think the reader will see that I do not emphasize the 
word "sun " as Homer properly does. In my third line, 
I emphasized the word "heavens" erroneously, the hea- 
vens already having been mentioned, and should have em- 
phasized the word which I translated "garland." The 
fourth line Homer manifestly intended to be read as 
C 1. The words "strength" and "might" joined to 
the genitive of a person's name are never emphasized 
in Homer. As I have written the line, I interpolated 
the word "hunter," using the expression "mighty hun- 
ter," which in the scriptures is applied to Ishmael, and 
thus emphasize four words; and I do not object to my 
translation, nor the line as it stands, but it emphasizes 
one more word than Homer does. In the remaining 
lines, and in most of my work, I have had a tendency to 
run everything in one mould, — which turned out A 3 
lines, — while in all the ancient writers there is constant 
change from one form to another. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 65 

Iliad XVIII. 

'E^ /Jiev yaiav eVef £', iv 8' ovpavov, iv Se ddkavcrav, 
T\e\i6v t a/cdfjLavra cre\i\VTjv re irXrjOovaav, 
iv Be tcl Ttipea irdvra, rd t ovpavos £<rre(f)dva)Tcu, 485 

II\T|iaSa? 0' 'TaSas re to re aOevos 'Qpuovos 
ApKrov 0\ t)v real d\kd^av iiriKXijaiV KaXeovaLV, 
7] t avrov arpe^erai ical r 'Qpccova SoKevet, 
177 5' dfJL/xojOO? earl Xotrpwv ' Q/ceavoio. 

On it the earth he wrought, and on it the sea, and the hea- 
vens, 
Also the moon at her full, and the sun that wearieth never ; 
On it, moreover, the signs as many as garland the heavens, 
Even the Pleiads, the Hyads, the mighty hunter, Orion, 15 
Also the great she-bear whose second name is the wagon, — 
Her that turneth on high and Orion eternally watcheth, 
Her that alone of the signs avoideth the baths of the ocean. 

To conclude this hastily prepared paper, I wish to 
make it clear that what I contend is this — that the nine 
forms of hexameter verse hereinbefore given are and 
always have been the standard to which authors have 
tried, probably unconsciously, to conform. They have 
not always succeeded in any language. The classical 
writers wrote in tongues wherein conformity was much 
easier than in the English language. A close scrutiny of 
English hexameter I surmise would disclose the fact that 
non-conformity has been the rule, but in the Latin and 
Greek non-conformity has been the exception ; and that 
is true notwithstanding all the errors that have come 
down to us, and all the editing of lines in modern days 
by men who did not consider emphasis at all. 

If I am right that these nine forms are the standard in 



66 HEXAMETER VERSE 

English — and of that I feel no doubt — it is very diffi- 
cult to believe that the ancients, who obeyed the law 
with so much more uniformity than we, did not write 
under the same law. Any scholar who will carefully ob- 
serve how he reads the ancient verse himself will find, I 
think, that he invariably " sing-songs " it into some one 
of those forms. I believe the ancients who were dealing 
with a living language read it intelligently in one of those 
forms, with some occasional forcing. It is none the less 
true that Milton's blank verse is iambic because he occa- 
sionally uses a different foot. De minimis non curat 
lex. 

I ask the reader to examine the following extract from 
the Third Satire in the ist Book of Horace, and see if 
he thinks the orderly succession of emphasized feet is an 
accident : — 

Jura inventa metu injusti fateare necesse est, 

Tempora si fastosque velis evolvere mundi. 

Nee natura potest justo secernere iniquum, 

Dividit ut bona diversis, fugienda petendis ; 

Nee vincet ratio hoc, tantundem ut peccet idemque 

Qui teneros caules alieni fregerit horti 

Et qui nocturnus sacra divum legerit. Adsit 

Regula peccatis quae poenas irroget aequas, 

Ne scutica dignum horribili sectere flagello. 

Nam ut ferula caedas meritum majora subire 

Verbera non vereor, cum dicas esse pares res 

Furta latrociniis et magnis parva mineris 

Fake recisurum simili te, si tibi regnum 

Permittant homines. Si dives qui sapiens est, 

Et sutor bonus et solus formosus et est rex, 

L •TO. 



HEXAMETER VERSE 6j 

Cur optas quod habes ? Non nosti quid pater, inquit, 
Chrysippus dicat : Sapiens crepidas sibi nunquam 
Nee soleas fecit, sutor tamen est sapiens. Qui ? 
Ut quamvis tacet Hermogenes, cantor tamen atque 
Optimus est modulator : ut Alfenius vafer, omni 
Abjecto instrumento artis clansaque taberna, 
Sutor erat, sapiens operis sic optimus omnis 
Est opifex solus, sic rex. Vellunt tibi barbam 
Lascivi pueri ; Quos tu nisi fuste coerces 
Urgeris turba circum te stante miserque 
Rumperis et latras, magnorum maxime regum. 
Ne longum faciam : dum tu quadrante lavatum 
Rex ibis neque te quisquam stipator ineptum 
Praeter Crispinum sectabitur, et mini dulces 
Ignoscent si quid peccaro stultus amici, 
Inque vicem illorum patiar delicta libenter, 
Privatusque magis vivam te rege beatus. 

Which I will render : — 

You cannot help admitting that laws were invented 
through fear of the unjust if you see fit to examine the an 
nals and records of the world. Neither is nature able to dis- 
criminate between the good and bad man as it distinguishes 
good things from the opposite, — what is to be avoided from 
what is to be sought ; nor will sound reason prove this, that 
a man sins as deeply and the same who filches green cab- 
bages from another man's garden, and the one who by night 
steals the sacred things of the gods. Let a rule be adopted 
which will apportion to sins punishments that are appropri- 
ate, lest you torture with the awful scourge a man who only 
deserves the lash. For that you should cut with a switch one 
who deserves to undergo heavier blows is a thing I do not 
fear, although you declare sins equal^ thefts as bad as high- 



68 HEXAMETER VERSE 

way robbery, and threaten to cut down great and small with 
the same sickle, if men should give you royal power. If the 
philosopher is rich, and a good cobbler, and alone is beautiful, 
and is a king, why ask for what you have already ? " You do 
not," says the Stoic, "understand what father Chrysippus 
means. A philosopher never makes shoes nor sandals for 
himself, but is a shoemaker for all that." " How so ? " " Just 
as Hermogenes, although silent, is a singer still and most 
excellent musician ; as Alfenius used to be a cunning cobbler 
though all the instruments of his trade were thrown aside and 
his shop closed, so the sage is alone an excellent workman at 
every calling, and so he is a king." "The roguish boys are 
pulling your beard, and unless you keep them off with your 
club you will be jammed by the crowd standing about you, 
and in your distress will break out and bark, you greatest 
of great kings ! Not to make my story long, — while you are 
going a king to your two-for-a-cent bath with no retinue ex- 
cept silly Crispinus, my dear friends will pardon me if I do 
anything amiss, being a fool (according to your definition), 
and I in turn shall overlook their peccadilloes graciously, and 
shall live a private man more happy than you as a king." 

Boston, May 3, 1900. 



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